Lessons You Learn Best The Hard Way
by vivaciousRingo
Summary: Sanji the drop dead gorgeous Student Council President has many past secrets he is reluctant to share. Only few can see through his Prince-like façade - like Ace. But balancing on the thin thread of friends & lovers can bring disaster if not careful.
1. Chapter 1

**[edited**** chapter – fixed some oocness, 2****nd**** one is due to fixing] Author's note**: I'll explain something beforehand just so you guys won't be confused while reading. My earlier resolve finally withered and I cave in to the request of my lovely bish **Lolly Dream** _(I'm doing this for you, doll!:D)_ and this fic despite having ZoroxSanjii and AcexSanji and also MarcoxAce moments – it's going to be romantically an eventual AcexSanji fic. And since I like reversibility you should know what it entails, heh.

For now view their relationship as –in between-. They are very close, because of their past experiences, but it's more like casual relationship, sex with no strings attached though they care for one another even more than a blood brothers. They search for love along the way and are open on other possibilities, but soon their relationship won't be so easily defined and things will get much more complicated.

_**We can't help who we want, that's all it comes down to really, the heart wants what it wants.**_

Stroke my ego if you liked what I wrote, XD

_**-xx—x—xx**__-_

**Settings: High School AU.**

**Disclaimer:** E. Oda's. I just screw around with his characters.

All thanks goes to my amazing friend **Pernille** aka **crystalbluefox**.

For beta-reading and your encouragement: Thank you, hon!^^

Welcome to the dangerous **East Blue High School**.

**Warning in this chapter:**

Implied SanjixZoro, and a full course meal of SanjixAce at the end~!

Enjoy!

**1. Chapter**

The day started no different like many other days. Sanji woke up, took his shower, and got dressed and started making his breakfast before going to school. But as many other teenagers would feel, his day wasn't ending on going to school and then back home like usual.

He has yet to realize that, but it was there that his day started a series of events that would soon turn his life upside down.

…

Sanji was a very much respected and acknowledged 'Mr. Prince' of the school; meaning the actual drop gorgeous, intelligent and probably most important person in school: The President of the Student Council. Going through a lot of shit through his whole life, made him grow up faster and he was sometimes overloaded with many responsibilities because of his 'adultness'. But he wasn't the one to back down from whatever a challenge life would throw at him. He stood proudly on his own and his organization skills were top notch, so though constantly being asked for help, and quite a loaded with taking care of The Council matters, he handled it all surprisingly well.

He was even voted for being the best President since Shanks was a student at East Blue High School. Now as a Principal of the School and being quite an airhead at that -made all the paper-work fall on the shoulders of his blond protégée- Shanks was still a loved and respected man. The unusual friendship and bond they shared didn't go unnoticed by the blonds' foes and the power that stood against The Council; CP9 they called themselves, and they wanted to use it against him.

There wasn't only one group of opposition that rose against the strong position of the Mugiwara's, like the School Council often was called, and that was thanks to their most popular face in the group. Monkey D. Luffy, was his name. He was the only son of one of the most influential politician in the Parliament, and the Grandson of the Vice-admiral of Marine-forces.

Every each person from the Crew of the strongest School Council since in the last ten years was a successful son or a daughter of the high in society persona. But they didn't rely on their connections; they were already despite their young age a successful teens in financials, ship-traffics, martial-arts world, medicine, inventory, archaeology, music and highest of cuisine world. Besides their abilities, every one of them had significant talent and was wide known in martial-arts society, or when it came to Franky and Usopp they had extraordinary quirk for inventory, and were specialists in weaponry.

It was really a force to be reckoned with and thankfully Sanji wasn't abandoned in the flood of the duties the President performed, but he had 'underneath' him a group of loyal, capable and honest people that helped and supported him in his everyday hard work.

It wasn't also that uncommon for fights to erupt on the grounds of the School. The principal seemed to be quite pleased actually that his students wanted to take care of their business under his very nose, so he put a note that every now-and-then in the large gym hall; there could be organized different kind competitions. Each individuals or a whole group could challenge whoever they wished and could solve their disputes in a fair game; be it in sport competitions, or to the actual martial-arts fight. The School Council though had the power to vote against it if they wished, but some of them were even more psyched up at principal Shanks' idea than average students, and the proposal got most of the times accepted.

Sanji ate his breakfast in silence, only the sound of the old clock in the kitchen broke it, together with the sound of his chewing. After making a few large lunch-boxed he decided he was ready to start the new day together with his annoying friends.

Casting a last brief look around his apartment and seeing only perfect order and clean surfaces, he locked the door behind him and jumped into his hard-earned car and drove to school.

The blond loved to be in control, and there were even times his reckless side of him took over and he pushed harder on the gas, loving the sound and excitement excursing through his veins as the car speeded up. But he wasn't a reckless driver either; he enjoyed speed but he had iron control of his nerves, and the words like 'accidents' or 'stupid bravado' didn't exist in his dictionary. Different matter was when he showed his, at first glance, careless attitude in not related to cars disciplines.

He wasn't much of a peoples' person. He was very sweet to the opposite beautiful sex, in his dictionary known as 'Goddess', but then again had quite a mouth on him when he spoke to those of male population. It earned him quite a lot of enemies, and challenges were almost a daily thing for him, what he regarded as a 'side job' or good 'exercise' and 'stress relieve' after a straining day.

Another rule of the 'dare' was that fights were to be settled after classes took place, so it wouldn't disturb with the learning process of the students. This rule was quite strictly respected and acknowledged by students. There wasn't a person who didn't respect Shanks, and no one wanted to get on his bad side either. Not unless he didn't have a care in the world about his own future and social life.

Sanji parked his car on the School's parking lot and he walked out, confidence radiating from his frame with each step he took. He was half-conscious of how his presence influenced others or more like he barely cared on most occasions.

He walked past the entrance pulling his expensive designer's sun glasses off of his straight nose and hung them with practiced nonchalance on his school uniform's pocket. Lost in thoughts he failed to see girls fainting in the background after he passed. Hungry and lust-filled looks followed after him.

His obliviousness or maybe plain disinterest was a blessing. He knew something about rumors of him having his own fan club full of fan-girls there were totally crazy about him, and there were even some fan-boys among them; like Bon-clay for that sake… but he thought it was just some joke his lovely swans came up with. He knew he was one hot motherfucker but to think half the school was enamored with him was plain silly and …fucking scary if he thought about it carefully. Like he needed some stalkers to add to the list of things making his head throb.

Not like he didn't like to bask in attention sometimes. He _was_ Mr.-fucking-Prince and he knew thanks to his position he was respected by many and envied at the same time, and every move he made was carefully followed both by admirers and enemies, but he thought nothing of it.

The strained atmosphere–sexual as well as antagonistic one—stirred unconsciously by the School President brought lots of headaches to his lovely flower; an orange-haired, fierce reincarnation of the powers of nature. _Nami_. She was a goddess taking care of the financial part of the Council work and her efficiency was the best school ever had. She established the best year-plan probably ever of spending founds to each sports club. And though lots of clubs would disagree with it; there wasn't anyone who could stand against her passion when it came to money, and all the delegations being sent to her with the means to negotiate more founds, were brain-washed so expertly and swiftly that they sometimes came back out from meetings, poorer, but so strongly assured they had done the right thing and that it would benefit them in the end.

It showed perfectly what kinds of people exactly were put in the charge of the East Blue High for three years straight.

Disagreeing with her was poorly pointless. But if Nami was a force of nature then the rest of them were natural disasters.

At first sight you couldn't see the complexity behind each character of the School Council, but when it came to taking care of something from their field of expertise, you should fucking pray that they were on your side rather than against you.

Sanji as in his last year, was able to choose which subjects he wanted to attend. Not every one had this special privilege. But hell he was more often the goddamn _Law_ in this School and with his knowledge he actually went above the normal High School level, but he attended for the same reason as they made Chopper come here; though the little guy was a prodigy in medicine at the age of 12.

But Sanji and others took as a special responsibility even to allow the sweet boy to experience things like High School. Irreplaceable memories you only had a chance to make once when you're young, and they took it upon themselves to show that you can also have mind-fucking-blowing _fun _in your life.

Sanji played with his sunglasses as he walked through the corridors with his usual indifference, nonchalance and looking like he just jumped from some freaking model photo shoot. Grin on his face as some cute girls called out to him _'Sanji-sama look over here!'_ giggling like there was no tomorrow when he finally cast a look at them.

"You're _late_, damn cook"

The grunt from behind his back made him stop in his track. When did the meat-head manage to get behind him? The idiot always did this to catch him off-guard and annoy him at the same time. Well, but no wonder Sanji didn't see him; he was too busy blowing kissed to those cute girls from 2-D class. Oh my, who wouldn't wish to attend in that class?

Sanji looked Zoro up and down and smirk formed on his lips as he saw small beads of perspiration on his neck and hair. "I see you came in just now too, shitty meat ball head. Hm, wonder why. Maybe your GPS needs fixing?_ Again_?" the blond teased not pleased to have his day interrupted by some ugly plant. Well, maybe not _ugly_ per se and he heard more often than he would appreciate—_thank you very fucking much_—girls' whispers about how panty-wetting and fuckable Zoro looked even though the _plant-head_ was painfully ignorant of his very _few_—_mind you_—of his good points. Sanji's eyebrow twitched, he needed to stop his dangerous trains of thoughts or he was going to get in trouble.

Zoro only rolled his eyes. Sanji resumed his walk, but the annoyance in his eyes didn't escape Zoro's perceive sight. He smirked in satisfaction that he managed to fuck with his _nemesis_' perfect day once again.

"Do you want me to wipe off that smirk of yours with my combat-shoes? The print on your face would look exceptionally good along with your permanent ugliness." Sanji shot at him and ducked just in time to feel the movement of air behind him.

"I think you would look better with my fist print on your face, dick-head! Maybe other fuckers wouldn't hit on you anymore seeing you're already someone else's bitch!" Zoro shot back at him, smiling his, what other would think to be his most charming smiles of his, but Sanji knew better to know that it was one of his most goddamn _infuriating_ ones.

"Ho, you wish, _mossy_. Too bad. Un_-fukcing-_fortunately actually, 'cause I'm just too good for you," Sanji purred into the swordsman ear, "and I don't think you have what it takes to actually satisfy anyone as demanding as me or anyone for that matter." He ended while coming close enough to the livid now Zoro after firstly avoiding earlier hit to his head.

Not stopping throwing out kicks and fists, they soon found themselves near the wall, and Sanji used it to kick back the swordsman into it, taking his breath away and holding Zoro up against it with his foot pressing on his chest and added even more pressure so it almost bruised.

It was no surprise how much of a contortionist's body Sanji had. So much power just one foot could create and bending his body in the most impossible ways. Imagination often ran wild when people watched the blond perform his dangerous fighting style: Savate with mix of Capoeira, especially at School.

It was one of those times that corridors were empty in this side of East Blue High, because however beautiful it was to watch this blond fighting, it was dangerous and could almost be deadly to stand on the wrong place on the wrong time. And especially when he fought against the green-head, their fights were exceptionally wild.

And secondly it was a path not many wanted to cross: a course to the Student Council room. Feared by lot and many mysteries were surrounding this interesting in itself place.

But speculations aside, the blond devil in flesh also found his entertainment in riling up Zoro as much as he could. Seeing the bastard's poker face actually slipping was one of those things he found _real _damn satisfaction in.

But he wasn't allowed any more savouring of his little victory, because the infuriating shithead did something leaving Sanji looking up on the ceiling and groaning from sudden hard contact with the floor.

"You were saying something?" whispered Zoro to him, with an evident grin being heard in his voice, while restricting Sanji's movements.

"You fucker! You kicked me!" Sanji gasped and still a little light-headed from the unexpected contact with the hard surface, he tried to get up, but without any luck.

"_What._ Am I not allowed to? You're not the only one who has legs and knows how to use them." Zoro said and smirked down at him, finding it harder with every moment to hold down the flexing wildly blond devil, though he didn't want to show it.

"That sounded so wrong," Sanji couldn't help the breathless laugh that escaped from between his lips, and grinning himself he started to put more offense into their wrestling on the floor; finally finding themselves almost in front of the Council's room.

"_All's fair~"_

"-Don't finish it."

"Yes, _love_." Laughed Zoro, but the next display of amazing flexibleness and resilience Sanji's hips possessed made their positions once again reversed. It was the blond who was on top this time, and very much he enjoyed the fading smirk from the green haired bastard's face.

"Fuck you, dick-head." The blond answered while grinning mischievously at him.

"So you finally acknowledge your feelings for me?"

"Keep dreaming, _marimo-chan!_" Sanji snickered amused and suddenly acted on an urge to bit Zoro playfully on his left ear. He could clearly felt that the body underneath him shuddered at the playful bite, and he laughed to himself; the swordsman was so easy to distract and to take advantage of sometimes, that—_sweet baby Jesus_—he just couldn't fucking help himself.

"Hey! That was dirty!"

"_All's fair~, eh?"_ He repeated Zoro's previous jab. "Figured you have an ear kink considering you like to put lots of things on them." Sanji mocked looking pointedly at Zoro's three gold earrings. He wondered briefly what was the story behind them, but Zoro's outburst made him forget about the disturbing thought just as soon as it registered.

"_Fuck. You._ _Blondie. _Now you're on, I'll damn well fuck your pretty face up, _ero-_cook!"

"Oh, _please_," Sanji said sarcastically, emphasizing with an eye roll, not even for one split-second stopping from holding down the trashing wildly moss-headed bull. "Your _sweet endearments_ are just what rub me the _right way_." The laughed that escaped him after he saw a promise of death in Zoro's eyes was pure fucking _evil_.

_Damn, but their fights were never boring._

Suddenly the nearest door opened swiftly and walked out to them the enraged fierce goddess of them all; holding her fist tightly clenched and with the death promise burning in her eyes. Their shuffle died like someone just has poured a cold bucket of water over their heads. What looked at first an erotic sight of two males groping passionately each other while panting – Nami knew better what happened.

And _no_, she didn't hold back. It was part of her job to keep everybody in check and organized, so she shut the door behind her and threw the beaten bloodied pulps of the Blond and the Green on the sofa.

"Ok. We are all present now. As I was saying -before the abrupt sounds of shuffle and moaning interrupted me," she glared over at the two people in question and then looked at the little group before her "we are done for this semester when it comes to out council related matters. We had it all done a _week_ ago, but some freaking _idiot-_", she clenched her fists at that and shifted her piercing look at the Black, this time, heap of beaten-piece-of-mass laying under the yellow strawhat.

"-thought it would be _fun_ to play in my personal room regarding where all the financial affairs took place."

The vein on her temple indicated just how much of a trouble cost her to reorganize her paperwork from the very beginning.

"So to conclude I want to vote for new ideas as to what we can spend the rest of the stash that was left."

"Shouldn't it all go to support clubs?" Usopp asked sweat dropping.

"They said they have enough." Nami answered casually.

More sweat drops fell.

"If you say so, Girlie." Franky told her and ignored her heated _'don't call me that!'_ from the quick-tempered oranget.

"So I have a great idea. _Au!_" Franky struck a pose, finally being able to drop his pants and flashing his jewels in his Speedos like a true pervert he was.

"No, we're not buying bigger refrigerator for any more of cola bottles." Huffed Nami still irritated at the _'girlie'_ remark.

"Listen, _au!_ I have even a better idea than the bigger freezer! …Though that idea sounds appealing not that I think about it..." Franky mussed and Nami already wanted to strangle him in her frustration.

"So—How 'bout we spent it on the project I was talking to you about yesterday?"

"Franky, Franky! Do you mean 'the surprising-amazingly-SUUPER-thingy' you talked about when I was sleeping?" Luffy asked while he jumped around with stars in his eyes, already recovered from Nami's wrath.

"What's the idea? I want to hear it too!" Chopper couldn't hold his excitement and was doing 'happy-wiggle-dance' around the room.

"Hold your horses~! It's not finished yet, but it was meant to be like our own place."

"You mean something like _a secret base_?" Luffy immediately translated it to his own 'language'.

"_A_ _secret_ _base_?" Chopper repeated, almost bursting from cheer excitement.

"Isn't it for kids?" Usopp said offhandedly.

"_Awn_…Usopp! Don't you know it's a _dream _of all the _brave men_ to play at least once in a secret hideout?" said Luffy, scorning his sharp-shooting friend.

"_Dream_? _Brave men_?" repeated Usopp while blinking. "Oi! Bastards! Let's go and make a hideout~!" _Talk about 180 turn, _everyone in the room thought.

"Oi! Bastards! Let's go! Let's go!" chanted all three of them, laughing happily all the time.

Nami sighed knowing already where it's going. After she tuned them out, she asked seriously; straight to the point. "_How much?_"

"…"

"..?"

"Ehem…It's not finished yet and all…I mean, the most expensive are the materials, because the place I already have; from Tom-san and…" trailed Franky off, not so sure anymore, while rubbing his neck.

"Spit it out." Nami shoot, she didn't like jumping around the topics, especially when it came to money and _hers_' at that, as a matter of fact.

"…_2 hundred_."

"….!"

"_Oh my_, I think 'leftovers' from our School's founds won't be enough." Mussed Robin, who had been quiet all the time until now, since she had been too engrossed in her book… though having an amazing divided attention helped her stay on track of this conversation. She often did this; acted like engrossed in her own world, but listened carefully anyway, and which allowed her to react whenever she found necessarily or worth to jump in.

"Like _hell _Franky! It's too much!" hissed Nami at him. Even her 'savings' won't be enough, so _what the hell?_

"Even if we DO agree-" cut the red-head off with a single glare, as all the _'aww~' _and_ 'why? It's only two hundred~ are we that poor, Nami~?'_ began to become a bit too loud and annoying. "-we still need 10 times more." She paused for the effect and got more blinking effects from the Crew.

"_Hell witch_. How did you manage to steal 20 grand?" Zoro asked also recovered from the 'love-punch' and had sat up leisurely on the couch near the blond, and somewhere in 'the talk' he also had managed to take out some liquor from the hidden stash in the room.

_Perks of being part of the__ Council Student._

The kick that connected with his elbow was one of the 'natural' or the most 'predictable' things in whole world and didn't make him even stop in drinking from the bottle.

"What was that for, dart brow?" He shot his 'the usual'.

"Don't imply that dear Nami-san is a thief, _cabbage head_" Sanji's chivalry side took over.

"Oi, oi.." Usopp sweat dropped.

"Yo-ho –uorkh-kho!" Brooke chocked on his tea.

"Oi, Nami. Stealing is bad!" said Luffy in his annoyingly 'reasonable' voice. It was enough to make her snap her steel nerves and she did what she knew was the best; she spoke in her _'don't-fuck-with-me-when-it-comes-to-money'_ low voice.

"_Shut _the hell up! All of you!" Her gaze penetrating like laser and at the same time cold as an ice shut them faster than the kick with lightning speed could accomplish.

"_My,_ if I may interrupt the best word would be 'investment' Nami-chan and I did."

"_Of course dear swans!_ No way such beautiful and possessing deadly charms doves would step so low as to try to steal anything—" Nami twitched at that so he soon added "—especially since they have power and gorgeous minds that allow them to leave all the dirty work to other bastards and focus on making a perfect master-plan~"

Zoro wondered if his 'acting' skills were top-notch or he had a split-personality that allowed him to pull stunts like that and actually live after saying it in front of Nami. "_Cook_, you're digging your own grave." He only said.

"_Yes._ Thank you Sanji—" Nami paused for a moment to think, and finally deciding to take it as a compliment, she ended her sentence with a "~kun."

_"Hai,__ Nami-swan_ _~!"_ The cook cooed with his perfected for-ladies-only-while-being-a-waiter-on occasions-voice.

"_Fu, fu!_ Mm, back to the topic. As I was saying; I and Nami-chan saw a great …chance in some actually quite unusual… case." Robin spoke with her soft and sensual voice making all of them listen to her calmly "and seeing such an easy mon-…_opportunity_, " she corrected herself swiftly; receiving only more stares in return, "we placed our bets well and won quite a lot." she finished.

"_I-don't-want-to-know-about-it_ disease is acting again." Usopp pulled a stunt with ketchup, making Chopper follow with "M-me too…"

"So you say; we got one tenth so it's better than nothing. Do you have any idea about how we can make more money?" Zoro also didn't find it necessary to indulge in those two wicked women businesses they made on their own.

"Hm, there could be a possibility to accept some sort of 'not-open challenges'…" trailed the raven woman off.

"Me, _me_! I'll do it!" Jumped Luffy in with; taking his sweet time to eat the whole fridge out and pausing only to hear better what his nakama were talking about.

"I'm afraid the son of the Politician and grandson of a high figure in Marines wouldn't look good in the Underground Fighting Competition."

"W-WHAT!_?_" Half of them sputtered.

"Oh my… It _slipped_."

"Damn Robin! That's why I told you to keep it clean; I can see them jumping in the cages already" Nami sighed to herself.

"D-doves? Aren't you too delicate to go to the Thriller Bark arena?" Sanji's care-to-persevere-his-delicate-flowers were very over over-the-top.

"And how do YOU know the name of this club?" Nami asked and smirked at him.

"_Sanji~_!" Luffy jumped at him, surprising the cook so much that he almost tumbled off the couch. "Don't tell me you were sneaking there alone and didn't take me with you?_!_"

"Heeh! Cook-bro you have some interesting ways to pass the time." Franky laughed.

"President of the School Council in East Blue High enjoying himself in the World of Underground and engaging in bloody fights. Nice head-lines." Zoro said sarcastically, but still a little pissed that he didn't know of that place. Curse his bad sense of direction that it in this aspect hasn't mysteriously taken him to the very doors of the Underground Fights Arena… like it so often had happened with other stuff, after he had for hours been walking around, searching his home. _Damn his luck_.

"I-I didn't fight. At least not… recently." Sanji mumbled the last sentence; earning more incredulous stares.

"_You fucker!_ You knew about such place and didn't even bother to ask your buddies to go with you?" That pissed Zoro more than he thought it would. He loved sports and especially the most bloody and brutal ones. Of course if he could join in them he'd be more than happy and here he was unaware of a great opportunity passing before his very nose. And who was that there threw him this in his face?

_The shitty excuse for a womanizer._How could he _not_ be pissed?

"Let me _the fuck_ go, bastard!" Sanji hissed and tried to pray Zoro's hands from his shirt before the Neanderthal would rip it off of him.

Zoro let him go and sulked on the couch holding the bottle of rum closely; like a plush doll.

"Oh…_screw you._ Don't even think about moping here like a beaten up puppy, or like Luffy when I've refused to give him food." Sanji said with narrowed eyes looking at Zoro while fixing his shirt to the usual perfect, impeccable state.

"So why did you actually fought there?" Usopp cut to the case; scarred of the prospect of going into the enemy's turf, but he couldn't pass such a great opportunity to gather material for his _'Hero-in-the-jungle'_ book he wrote.

Sanji didn't think it would change to this topic so suddenly. Casting a look at the gorgeous beauties–the playful light shining in their eyes made him almost melt into a puddle—and _he could swear_ they knew it already and sat a trap so he could trip directly into it. But…he was a gentleman—_most of the time_— and it was rude to suspect the lovely girls for plotting against him, though they exchanged a look with one another and smiled at him with their most charming _'trick-or-treat'_ smiles he had ever seen.

He sighed and made it more comfortably for himself on the sofa, and opened up a few buttons on his shirt feeling constricted, and began to let it out as soon as possible.

"Few years back in Paris there was very popular club/organization that wanted to introduce new 'stars' of the martial-arts world. It was legal. At least they earned enough money from illegal fights to actually bribe some big fishes and legalized it."

Zoro poured Sanji a glass of whisky from the second bottle which earned him a brief nod of thanks and he continued. All of the Mugiwara's were listening to him while sitting around the table on sofa's or in front of him on chairs. Chopper, Luffy and Usopp sat on the floor with eyes wide; like the three idiots they were, they were very impatient to hear 'the story'. He felt like kicking them or shooing them away like an irritating fly, but settled finally for the knowledge that his lovely girls wanted to hear it as much as the awestruck 'puppies' sitting before him.

"So that was a time when I was Zeff's protégée and he worked me to the bones." _'Yohoho'_ in the background was silenced by Nami's delicate fist. "He taught me Savate, because he was also a champion in this, years back. But I was young and when you train under the 'expert' or legitimate 'instructor' you can't use your 'skills' and fight on the streets anymore" Again Nami had to silence other monkey's _'Why? I go and fight all the time! Grandpa only gets mad sometimes when police comes. Shishishi.'_

"So though Geezer didn't go easy on me at all, I didn't feel good being always the 'punching bag', so when I heard from Patty; my co-worker, how he saw one of the fights and blood poured there like from a freaking fountain—" Many _'oohh_'s he received at this and Usopp was scribbling something down in his notes like crazy, but Sanji let it go; blaming it on Usopp's weirdness.

"—I asked him feigning disinterest; where such a fucked up place was and surely not in the centre of the fashion capital. So he talked like he'd never shut up about the gore and lever of brutality there," Zoro's face reminded him a lot like a little child who someone had taken his favorite toy from; at what Sanji only quirked an eyebrow up and continued.

"Anyway," he said as he shook his head to get rid of the previously thought "but through the garbage of pointless info I managed to catch the name and location of the club and when I had a free weekend I dressed myself casually and pulling a big hoodie over my head, so none of the customers from Baratie or other patrons would recognize me by an accident."

Luffy blinked up at Sanji while angling his head to the side and the blond could see clearly how the thinking process actually went through the idiot's mind _'Sanji wearing casual clothes? Uaah~! No, no don't go there!'_ Sanji looked down and while rolling his eyes he smacked Luffy on the top of his head re-arranging his thoughts and again leaving Luffy with his blank_; 'I-wanna-hear-the-story'_ look on his face.

"Well, fights there really were—," he threw a look on Chopper who was sitting in front of him and seeing somewhat more of a child's innocence, and finished "—wild. And I wasn't interesting in that kind of competition that could make one easily loose his position on the real martial-arts arena. I continued studying under Zeff, but it was few months later that it was known around; new competitors are needed to fill the gaps from illegal fights that crippled most of participants and they needed 'fresh meet'." His brow twitched when Luffy perked up at those words but didn't want to get distracted and continued.

"Considering the 'clean' outlook of the fights that were meant to be wide-shown I went and took part in it. Geezer later said that he didn't think I'd be so smart and fight only 'legally'. Shitty-old-fart probably wanted to hold something against me if he heard I participated in Underground." He narrowed his eyes like he was standing in front of his step-father himself.

"So you see the same is happening here in the Thriller Bark arena. They want to get enough stash so they could go 'clean' and earn even more money and be free of worries about possibility of raids by the police." He concluded, bashing himself somewhat for forgetting to light his cigarette, but he forgot the more he talked. So he made it up lighting a fresh stick and inhaled the deadly but calming smoke, and then only waited for his Crew's reaction.

"Hey, hey! What about the fighting?" Asked Usopp excitedly supported by Chopper.

"Did you win?" asked Luffy the most important question.

"Damn and I though I'll get away with just that." Sanji said half-jokingly.

"That's ok. No one wants to admit his failures to others, so we understand if you wanna keep quiet about it" That way of talking made Sanji both riled up in lightning speed, and wanting to choke the man on the spot. Zoro sure knew what 'buttons' to push to make Sanji hot from anger, and bothered about the attack on his masculinity.

"For your information_—shithead—_I placed second."

"Second?" Voices around were saying the same.

"Who was the first?"

"Wanna know, marimo?" Sanji smirked.

"No thanks. I guess this whole competition was full of pussies when you placed so high, so I'm only wondering who placed first. Maybe some chick that won without actually needing to step on the same ring with you?"

"_Bastard_. For your information sweet ladies had their own women division where they fought. And I'm sure marimo-kun would love to fight with some of the participants I fought with, but if you say 'please' I'll tell you who took the first place. Hn, you'd be surprised." Sanji continued.

"Please, _please _Sanji tell us who was it—!" The trio wailed.

"_Yohoho!_ I'm also quite interested who was equally good if not better by a scrap to beat Sanji-san."

"We'd love to hear it too." Nami said and supported by Robin's elegant nod.

"Yeah. Cook-bro tell us!"

"Hm?" Sanji looked at Zoro and everyone was looking at the green-head expectantly too, but as he saw Chopper's pleading eyes he finally crumbled.

"Fine. _Tell_ _Us_." grumbled Zoro, taking a swig from his bottle.

"I'll take it as _begging_." Sanji smirked and even wider when Zoro choked on the liquor.

"The first… was… Luffy's brother." He stated it like the most natural thing in the world.

"Ace?"

"_What?_"

"So that's what he was doing in France almost two years ago!" Luffy punched his open hand with his fist having an _'aha!'_ moment.

That news made even Zoro lift his eyebrows.

"So did I correct your idea about all competitions are full of…?" He trailed off didn't seeing the point to repeat such profanity in presence of women.

"Hm, so? They begin from including the second place to last." Zoro grunted, not being so pleased about the news.

"Heh, keep telling yourself that. I can see you're _green from jealousy_~." Laughed Sanji; ducking under Zoro's swing with the bottle next second.

All the chaos erupted and screams along with all fighting were finally silenced with Nami's lovely help.

They had different timetables regarding lessons, so Robin went with Franky and Brooke to have two hours of music classes, and others also went to their respected courses. Chopper with Usopp still talking excitedly about Sanji's 'story' and Nami pulling Luffy on his ear. She stuffed his pie-hole with big piece of meat and took him to their own classes.

"Sanji I'll leave the rest to you since you have classes later the day" Nami said to Sanji, looking over her shoulder as she spoke and exiting the room and still had a good grip on Luffy's ear so he wouldn't run off on his own to gods know where.

"_Yes my dove~"_ He answered her cheerfully and when she disappeared behind the door he turned to the last still standing in one place; the Marimo-head.

His turn from freaky love-struck idiot to one cool, suave and collected bastard was hard to get used to when Zoro first met him, but knowing the cook for two years now made him look at his freaking split-personality stunt with calm but irritated face.

"What the fuck are you still doing here, moss-head?" Sanji asked while pulling a new cigarette from his pocket and lit it swiftly with the flick of his thumb on the lighter.

Zoro gritted his teeth and calmed his rising temper every time the fucking blonde was pulling Zoro into making 'confessions'. "You know exactly why I'm still staying here with your annoying self and not get the hell away from here instead." Zoro narrowed his eyes at Sanji and stepped closer to him, feeling the smoke travel on his exposed torso and neck when Sanji exhaled.

Sanji watched Zoro closely while the other teen got closer and felt first pangs of excitement. Adrenaline started pumping in his veins with the proximity of his nakama/rival/friend/and something a little bit more, but he couldn't place it for the moment. The idea of him so near fired many strings in Sanji, but he knew very well what shithead had in mind, no matter how unintentionally Zoro's words sounded like an invitation to his sex-starved mind.

Even if the buffon didn't realize it. _Zoro was one sweet goddamn and maddening temptation_.

Bronzed in the sun, perfectly sculptured body with shapes on the same level as those of the Greeks' gods. Who would be fucking stupid _enough _to resist him? But Sanji learned with time and experience to take his sweet time and put good things out for later, so that the hardships of waiting will bear the most delicious fruits of …_hmm, many possibilities._

"Of course I know. So, wanna kill two birds with one stone?" Asked Sanji, after putting his cig away and sitting relaxed on the nearest chair.

"That's what I'm talking about." Zoro smirked. "When do you think all this 'legalizing' will take place?" he continued, looking and trying to judge the cook's body-language for any signs of bad news.

"Hmm, hard to say. They have a branch here and for a long time actually, so maybe it'll happen sooner than we think. Don't think about getting in, _mossy._ Considering they let dear doves like Robin and Nami inside and there's very tight security that without the special pass, a moss-headed student; won't be able to get in."

"I'm sure Nami and Robin with their sticky fingers handled the situation well."

"Huh. Never dare I doubt my lovely doves' skills."

"Heh! Did you just agree with me or is my mind playing some tricks on me?"

"I've never doubted the possibility of you experiencing some brain damage, if you ask me"

"No one asked you then."

"I wouldn't go that far saying you're no one…" mussed Sanji to himself; his mind strolling dangerously onto the ground full of quick sand that only waits to swallow him completely.

"What do you mean?" Zoro asked, perplexed at Sanji's rare moments of not taking bait to his jabs.

"…Just proving my point. Neanderthals were the same people as us though uncivilized brutes, but you know it better than I." Sanji corrected himself and followed through. It was easy to play with the _little lost mossy_ here, but if he went too far, the 'fun' could end with the sound of walls crushing around, and he wanted to play with his little prey _just a little bit more_.

"Don't you have kendo class in five minutes, by the way?" Sanji grinned, stretching himself on the chair like a big grown up cat; displaying the strength, followed by amazing grace and balance of a panther that only waits patiently to catch his injured party and eat it all, _alive_.

Zoro stood there with the blank look on his face; seeing Sanji so relaxed and at ease in his presence, so different from all the times when they bickered and stayed alert in case the other attacked. Then the words finally reached him. _'Stupid mossy.'_ And casting a look on the clock he said one word: "Shit!" and there was only a memory left of him; that's how he hurried to attend his favorite class.

Sanji wanted to tease him if he needed a sexy blond guide to show him the way, but the words didn't make it past his lips.

He grinned to himself and yawned. A nap sounded good. Nami said paper-work is done for now, so he could laze a bit. He only came earlier because he promised Nami he'll be present at the meeting. He still had many hours till he had his own class, so cleaning the mess the shit-heads did wasn't as much appealing to him as a sweet, soothing nap. He'll make Usopp and others clean it up earlier. He had the means to make them listen.

_Lunchbox__es._

He laughed to himself. '_If other bastards in school knew that the best way to bribe the Student Council would be by food; our unity would be in serious trouble. Every one of us has favorite food that he'd eat every day and all the time. But no matter they don't have the World's Second Best chef as the one who actually feeds them._

_Too bad, losers. I already have their hearts.'_

_**-xx—x—xx-**_

Sanji's quiet time was interrupted quite rudely by a loud crashing noise. He woke up immediately; his sharp senses alert and looked for the cause of the noise. _'Well, well…'_ he thought _'that's too much of a coincidence if you ask me. But hell if I'm going to be sorry. Time to finally have some fun.' _

Student Council was the sanctuary that only few could enter, so it was a perfect place to put naughtier than not ideas into gear.

The unexpected 'guest' that broke into the tight secured room was no other than Luffy's step-brother Ace. '_Coincidence? The work of god I say~'_, Sanji mussed_._ It had been some time since the last time he had seen Ace, and pleasant and warm memories flashed through his mind, reminding him how enjoyable their last encounters were.

He smirked lightly.

"You know you can be arrested of trespassing and breaking into the School Council room?" Sanji asked offhanded, and walked leisurely closer to the real and alive sight of a Greek god in human flesh.

Sitting without the care in the world on the desk and looking appetizing in his half-naked state he answered. "There's so much more hidden passages into this room that to actually catch me would be quite an accomplishment." Ace flashed his own cocky grin.

"Mmm, really? If you're so sure you won't get yourself caught, then maybe you could stay just a bit longer… Luffy and the others are going to be here after 2 p.m. and we could remind ourselves of _good old times_. How about it? You aren't in a hurry, are you?" purred the blond into Ace's ear; when Sanji used that tone—_his natural and strongest weapon Ace long ago has deducted_—there was no way not to feel excited. Ace could feel his pulse quickened and his skin started to heat up in no time. A strong urge assaulted him momentarily to give his very soul to the little blond devil in flesh. _Sanji was, indeed, a walking sin._ As Ace thought about it, his eyes racking over the exposed deliciously sun-kissed neck, he couldn't help himself grinning like an idiot and answered back.

"Oh? Luffy's at school? Good to know. I'd need an excuse for dropping by the Student Council room then." He didn't need to wait for long to get the reaction he hoped so much for.

The stunning sight of a lean and warm body, pressed him into the desk and soon Ace felt the hot mouth kissing him hungrily. The smell of Sanji's cologne and also his own natural male and full of testosterone one flooded his senses and Ace couldn't help but feel the spreading like a fire through his veins; burning need to taste more of the blond angel or devil; depends on his playful attitude.

The doors and walls of the Council room were sound-proofed and the doors were probably locked like always, so they didn't worry about making much noise, too engrossed in their own strikingly vivid desire for each other, made them oblivious to everything around them. Busy with pawning on each others bodies, both wanting to touch every piece of skin they could manage to put their hands on. They were constantly moving and couldn't find one place and just enjoyed themselves properly. Deep breathes from erratic and hurried kissing sounded in the else so silent room, their eyes laughing and starting to shine with longing, as they wanted to taste more of the other.

It was fun. It was fighting. It was teasing and playing.

It was stronger with each passing second; desire and arousal.

Sanji was smashed harshly on the standing near the sofa desk. He growled playfully at the handling. Next he circled his legs around Ace's slim but well muscled body, kicking lightly at the back of his knees making Fire Fist stagger and catch himself on his hands on the desk.

It allowed them to be brought chest to chest, and Sanji didn't waste time and began sliding his rough palms up and down Ace's back and sides while giving delicate nips along hot skin on his neck. Feeling up every taunt muscle under his hands he was becoming more and more aroused.

His ego relished in the small gasps, faster breathing and speeding heartbeat he brought out of Ace. He held him tightly with his weapon-like legs, giving him no other choice than support himself on his arms on both sides of Sanji's hips. It made a lot easier for Sanji to touch and fondle every piece of skin he could grab grinning all the time. He finally settled his hands on the pert ass and began moulding it with his strong palms to his own wish.

A growl escaped from Ace's lips at the treatment he was subjected under, but didn't word any disagreement at the position. He was strong enough to last hours holding himself up on his arms without breaking a sweat. It was just a bit uncomfortable taking into consideration the pleasurable caresses that were making his body react and melt into the confident touches.

Sanji grabbed roughly his ass with both of his hands, bringing feverishly their groins together and biting harshly down on the juncture between neck and shoulder. He grumbled into the skin, sucking and leaping with tongue, eliciting a strangled moan in return. He loved being in control, but at the same time it didn't make him feel anxious at the prospect of being in supposedly submissive position.

He was the same kind as Ace. Being the bottom didn't turn him into a weak and needy mass of nerves. He sometimes even took greater pleasure when he took control and impaled himself on the other, savouring the strain and perspiration of his 'victim' from their rigid concentration to stop coming too soon.

Top could also behave like a total bottom. It only depended on the sheer ability the other partner possessed.

Sanji smirked to himself devilishly. He had enough 'skill' in his little toe to make the other cum, but he didn't feel like a tease today.

_Maybe not as much._

But a little bit of naughty and feathery stimulation couldn't hurt. He laughed to himself. At least his own version of _dirty and subtle_ stimulation. He stroked them both, rubbing his front against the raven's front, until they were nice and hard. He was panting now as much as Ace and dove for another soul chasing kiss. He grabbed firmly with his left hand at Fire Fist's hips enough to bruise. The other one he placed on the warm neck and slid it up into raven hair, angling their heads and making them French-kiss more deeply.

They both broke off in desperate need of air. Breathing short and raspy Ace looked hungrily into Sanji's eyes and was rewarded with being pushed onto the bed, his trousers lost somewhere on the floor and watched the very sight of naked perfection climbing on top of him with hungry eyes.

A barely audible 'oh' slipped from his lips at the turn of events. He was sure that the blond being in his 'teasing and light'-mood would be the one fucking him senseless. 'Surprise.' those icy-blue eye seemed to say, and Ace couldn't help at the shudder that went through him. Recognition sinking. Hell if he was going to say anything stupid or rush things when the blond obviously had something in store for him. And he only allowed himself to swallow visibly while lying on his back.

Sanji was very pleased with him. He liked when he didn't need to flap his tongue and step by step say what he was going to do next. _To love the unpredictable._ It's so much more fun when you don't know what will happen next. It's also twice the enjoyment when pleasured and additionally being taken by surprise. People can get used to everything; eating everyday leftovers, or even to constant and maddeningly blissful 'attention'. Just like right now. We have here a subject nr 1 who with his endurance and strength could easily last days' long battle and still have the means to go on when in pinch. But put him under the specific circumstances and all of his 'good qualities' are becoming meaningless.

Well, without stamina he wouldn't even last 5 minutes if given stimulation. So here comes the fun.

Powerful in mind and body, but collapsing and begging under Sanji's ministration. And you'll think how that is even possible? Well… restrained by being bound to the bed with the blonds' tie, can do miracles. And then being threatened to that if he burns it or break it on any possible way, he'll make it even more difficult for Ace.

Also without the needed leverage to move properly and trust at the pace he craves. Not to mention being presented with the best mental blow job he could ever dream about. Meaning; gorgeous sight of the blond little devil jerking off while straddling his belly and preparing himself nice and slow from the back.

He don't know anymore if it's because of lust clouding Sanji's vision or there are real fire-flames licking at Ace's shoulders and pure need cumulating inside of them was making the atmosphere almost unbearable from the heat and want.

While concentrating on loosening himself up Sanji heard the almost muffled whimper from under him. Opening slowly one eye, he threw a look down at his prisoner. By licking obscenely his lips he could almost feel the incredible strain in Ace's body. His chest was heaving and his cock was already leaking pre-cum. Sanji took mercy on him and poured lotion found nearby on the Fire Fist's neglected erection. He hissed at the cold sensation, but soon it changed into pleasurable little moans when the blond coated it thoroughly and placed his hips above Ace's wanting body. He took a deep breath and nodded to Sanji's silent question. The blond stopped then with _'playing cat and mouse'_ and simply lowered himself slowly onto him.

His cock slid inside of Sanji to the hilt without the need to halt the slow slide. Flesh on flesh till Sanji sat fully on his lap. His brow furrowed and Sanji focused all his awareness into the place between his legs. He lifted his visible ocean-blue eye, there wasn't hidden behind golden strands of hair, after getting used to being invaded by the blunt object, and took in all the glory underneath him.

What a beautiful sight. Dangerous, but it's making him even more turned on.

He was impressed with the complete control Ace was displaying.

The sweat-slicked sight of Ace's muscled torso and stomach flexing with each movement was hot enough to burn, and Sanji felt like he had amazingly taunt view of raw strength given under his control and he felt like he rode a dangerous, wild but beautiful beast than an ordinary human.

He saw reassurance in the darker than usually eyes. So he let himself be reassured and began with a slow but steady pace. Hands on Ace's chest and he could almost feel like he was a step from getting them burned by the imagined stray licks of fire sprouting out of the body underneath, but, though it shouldn't, it excited him. He wondered briefly if people on high get to experience the same sensations as he did now. He gulped, and fest his eyes on Ace's glorious body, slicked with sweet and wondered how he probably rarely sweat because of his inhuman endurance. Did everything in this raven-haired man remind him of unyielding fire?

It flared something like sense of pride inside of Sanji that it was no other than him who was making Ace almost loose himself.

He never saw famous boxing champion Fire Fist in 'fire-mode' unless he was in the midst of a battle. He assumed by the hard clenched jaw, strained muscles under his fingers and the concentrated look that Ace was actually battling, but with himself and his instinct.

Ace looked like he was slightly taken aback by the way he observed the fuelling, his desire-chef's slim hands traveled all over his body; now and then he threw quick glances down at Sanji's hands; couldn't simply resist watching how gracefully they moved. Precious, one of the kind, chef's hands. They reminded Ace of a pianist's hands; long, slim fingers, full of unspoken elegance that fitted stylish and classy chef so freaking well.

Sanji thought briefly that he was having one-of-a-kind feeling that he was fucking with the fire there, and laughed breathlessly when he thought how Ace would react to that statement.

Ace looked up to the blond and saw his grin stretching his face. Sanji thought briefly how stupid it must look, but he honestly didn't give a fuck about it now.

Bending down, he changed the angle of each trust. He caught himself at the sides of Ace's head and dove to the flushed face beneath and sealed their lips once again. The kiss at first was nice and slow; feeling the texture of each fevered lips. But with each smack of Sanji's hips over Ace's impaling but wonderful big cock, their speed escalated and he felt Ace striking something deep inside of him at which he had to break off the lip-lock to shout; blinded by the wave of pleasure.

Gasps and moans were heard; only every each next - louder.

Ace clenched his teeth and centered all of his power into his legs and hips and moved at the same time with Sanji's down thrust. The raven gasped at the incredible feeling of being buried to the hilt in the silk and warmth of Sanji's insides. It was slowly driving them both crazy!

"Oh shit!" Sanji stopped controlling his voice at this point, but it didn't matter anymore. His ego agreed with him and patted him mentally on the back saying _'You did a great job'_.

_Hard to disagree_. He tried to swallow but his mouth felt like sandpaper so he busied himself instead with the clenching in time with jerky shoves of his sphincter muscles and he finally heard what he was striving for all along.

"Sanji—!" _Yes, you're right_. Sanji made famous Hiken no Ace moan and scream HIS name like he was born to be a bitch.

Sanji snapped in time with Ace's trusting up few more times and felt quivering of the tights underneath and when he registered teeth grazing hungrily at one of his nipples; he let himself go. He felt orgasm washing through him like a high wave and Sanji jerked himself off on the rippled stomach under him, and came. It was so hot that the feeling almost burned his eyes, giving the one-of-a-kind display of would-be-seasoned semen.

Sanji would laugh if he only could, but all his muscles were at that moment busy convulsing and spasms run through his body as he felt Ace coating his inner walls with his own hot essence. His ears rang. He didn't know if from coming so hard, his screams or Ace's scream of his name. He briefly wondered that if someone happened to walk by he'd be able to solve his dilemma, but it's not important at the moment.

Sanji almost fell and took Ace's breath away, but with a last ounce of strength he grabbed the sides of the bed and steadied himself few inches above the totally spent Ace.

He pleasantly noticed that his tie was in fact intact. He placed a slow, grateful kiss on Fire Fist's lips and untied his bound hands. Sanji could see the red welts that were visible and felt a little giddy that he made another mark on the well-known boxer.

Ace slid his cock out of Sanji's inside, and they both moaned by the demonstration. He looked up at Sanji and he wanted to say something, but the blond beat him to it and kissed him breathless. Laughing when he saw a dazed look on Ace's face, the Fire Fist shot him a dirty and embarrassed look.

"That good?" The blond devil asked while he couldn't make his grin disappear.

"If you mean in the middle of it you made me forgot that someone actually came here and saw us then yes it was good" grumbled Ace, still having the color pink on his face.

"Really…? I didn't notice. Oi, you feel embarrassed because someone saw you with me?" Sanji asked him slightly worried. He hadn't thought earlier that Ace would be the type to actually hide his sexual preferences and it made him feel somewhat disappointed.

"Uh... No! It's just that… I thought you would want to stop and silence them or something…" mumbled Ace more to himself, than he spoke to the blond.

That was new. "Why do you think that?" Sanji asked intrigued.

"Why? Because you prefer women and it could ruin your reputation if…" his words were silenced by a warm mouth on his. Sanji thought _'How freakin' cute that was of him. Never knew fire-incarnate could blush so fucking adorable!' _He kissed him one more time when Ace tried to speak again and didn't stop until he couldn't talk for a while even if he wanted to.

"First of; yes I love women and I like having sex with them, but I also had sex with men so it's not as much of a deal to me." _'At last not anymore'_ he added to himself.

"That so? Oh…then you don't mind that _Usopp _was running away at the amazing speed of a rocket and screamed all the while?" Ace asked skeptically. "I don't know though what he was screaming about…"

Sanji groaned and flopped on the bed "Fuck that… The worst to see us would be the Zipper-guy, but Usopp is second the worst… I can imagine he was screaming: _'Oh my poor virgin eyes! I hadn't seen Sanji and Ace have bondage-sex!'_ like some mantra to make images go away…"

Ace laughed "I can imagine that."

"Yeah. While you're at it imagine how many people could hear it and even if he kept his mouth shut, they still could walk in here and enjoy the show because I'm sure shit-head forgot to lock the door after 'escaping'…" sighed Sanji, pretty irritated by that fact.

"You don't mean-…" Ace said with wide eyes.

"Imagine headlines in tomorrows newspaper; _'Gay-porno in Council's master-room'"_

Ace added: "I can hear screams of fan girls already."

"No shit…"

"Yeah…Well, no point in worrying about that… what's done is done… I honestly don't care how others will see me. It's their own illusion anyway…" told Ace suddenly melancholic.

"Sure you don't seem to care, especially since they won't see you everyday and squeal at your sight" Sanji told, not so pleased with the upcoming future.

"Well, but it was worth it, wasn't it?" grinned Ace and looked at him with his narrowed and sensually eyes.

"After we lock the door… wanna have another go? _For good old times?_" asked the fucking irresistible walking sex-god in human body.

Sanji gave him a look _'do you even need to ask at this point?'_ And thought to himself 'No _point worrying…? Heh! He's right. Life should have spices in it or it would be boring. And what matters is living in the present… and not in the past'_

"Thanks Ace."

"For what?"

"Mmm. _Nothing at all_." Sanji smiled and kissed him again and thought how Usopp was going to LOVE the work Sanji had in store for him_. And he'd make fucking sure of that!_

_**-xx—x—xx-**_

**To be continued****…**


	2. Chapter 2 Part A

_**AN:**__ This chapter is a part of 3pack Birthday gift to my friend and badass Luffy-incarnate – __**Lolly Dream.**__ You requested to show some depth and complexity behind Ace's and Sanji's relationship so here ya go doll~ lol. Happy BDay!~3 2nd June 2010._

_My awe goes to my too cool for words beta__** crystalbluefox**__! Nille I really am calmed a lot when you're there to listen, laugh and …slash me where I make those mistakes~! Thank you. _

_**Warnings**__: Some uncommitted, implied SanjixZoro (part 1) and smutty SanjixAce time(part 2 of the chapter)~. Do enjoy and drop a line or two for my enjoyment this time 'round.^^ _

_**PS.** This has been heavily edited by me year later after original posting, so any mistakes you'll find are my own. This chapter is _way_ over 16 thousand words, so I'm gonna break it in half, because it's hard to read for so long without getting tired or put off at some point, in my opinion. Considering also their past I gave them an accent they'll be speaking with later on mainly in their own company, since Sanji needs to live up to his repute and shit. I find it hot, of you don't_ — _too bad. What spurred this all on was realization that _indeed_ people read, fave, alert and review this particular vomit of my over-excited and over-perverted mind. Thank you. *ish touched* :—; _

_**x—xx—x**_

The clinking of the ice-cubes in the glass was heard loudly in the large room. The quiet, comfortable atmosphere was surrounding the two males. They were leisurely stretched on the sofa near the usual meeting place, in the communal room, both lost in their own thoughts and contemplations.

Like many times in the past, their meetings were rapid, surprising, full of locked emotions; spilling out with the movement of strings snapping. You could say they were similar souls; both loved to fight and loved to have fun as much. And their first meeting was the beginning of quite an unusual friendship, or even stronger bond. They were nakama. Though their relationship also went far off the normal friend/family type of ties.

The more they both tried to place it in the past, the more they got lost in the complicated matters surrounding them both and their dark pasts. They settled finally for not stating the obvious or clearing what wasn't obvious in between them.

It was easier. For both—Sanji and Ace. One knew about the other just the sufficient amount of things, and that was accepted. That was the line, that without it being spoken out loud—they respected it. They knew about each other more than anyone else could ever imagine, but any faults or any good quality in the other was simply acknowledged. They didn't feel the need to change anything. They were wild souls and didn't want to get attached to anything. In the world where they lived in it was sometimes fatal to have something precious and let it be shown to others on a display.

It was a weakness—Bonds.

That's why they didn't let the possibility of something more to even plant in their heads for a bit longer.

Ace went back with thoughts to their very first meeting…

* * *

...

* * *

Once, very far from this place, under the beautiful blue sky of France they were lying in the grass and gazing at the vast horizon. The sky above them was still dark but clear blue, without any single little cloud disrupting the perfect firmament. They were sitting in comfortable silence on top of the hill, surrounded by the clear air of country-side with shining lake few miles away to the left.

It was the place they loved to visit when they had free time. The farm and the fields there were Zeff's piece of land. He bought it not long time after his friends and nakama died in the middle of a storm at the sea. He wasn't with them when they went on the voyage. He was no longer fit as the one to sail the seas under the French flag of Marine forces. He got many medals for his exceptional achievements but his lost leg wasn't something anyone could replace for him. Taking into consideration also his age; he became a civil. _Still_—his skills were widely acknowledged. Even though he lost half of his strength—he didn't stop being an exceptional figure in the military or in other fields. He was given the award 5-years straight for being The Best Chef in the Annual International Cookery Contest and became one of the jury from then on as a means to promote younger exceptional individuals.

Many asked him to spill his secrets or to become a teacher figure for many known young people—not to mention growing up in rich families—but Zeff turned down all the pleas or threats.

He had a harsh attitude and it took great heights to actually be able to withstand his moods.

No one knew when he took a single kid under his wings.

He was just _there_ one day.

The kid was weak, obnoxious, and also possessed the look in his eyes that spoke of a great knowledge. His visible deep, blue eye was looking at things or people with insight surprising to many people.

It was definitely _not_ a look that a kid in his age should have.

Zeff was very popular in many influential circles. That's why this sudden adoption and introduction of his new _son_ to all brought many different reactions from people.

Many envied. Many gave their best and were happy that the old ex-marine would have a successor. But it wasn't a world kind to those inexperienced and innocent. It was a world ruthless and full of money-sharks that wanted to sweet-talk and milk you all you were worth.

There were many of those who told around sick rumors about the young boy being Zeff's new _cabin-boy_. It was the regular thing on such parties, and the kid—_Sanji_—needed to keep his nerves in iron control all the time. Otherwise he would have said or done something rush in his short-temper-ness making things only worse for his father. He represented the family of the "Red Leg" Zeff himself and Sanji's actions could just as well hurt his father's name or position gravely and irrevocably.

Back then Ace had been under guise of one of employees, guests or "accidental" people—as you might be able to call it too—but no one really knew for sure. He always knew where the most interesting places to be were, and used every opportunity or trick to get into those parties. Be it as a part of a working staff or to find a lonely rich woman and be her _boy toy_ for few days—having that way the means to actually appear on such parties as a guest.

That was the kind of scene and circumstances of their first meeting.

Surrounded by many, but still they both gave off an air of something out-of-reach for those around them.

The rare gems you wanted to gaze at all night, but you weren't allowed to touch.

Ace was just entertaining his _date_ along with one of her snobbish friends when he overheard a conversation about _Sanji_. About the young man's unclear past, or his very doubtful 'purpose' of becoming the heir and adopted son of one of the most respected figures in the capital of fashion, in Old World.

Many mean words were spoken. Like he had made his way to the top under the old man's wings only thanks to his connections, or that Sanji _seduced_ the stubborn geezer and that's the reason his "father" took care and thought him secrets of cooking only known to Zeff and his ancestors.

Such rumors on the elite standpoint could have both—a grain of truth in them or as much as lies and envy behind. It was the very reason why Ace didn't entirely paid attention to those snooty and brain loose rumors rich, rotten folks took sick enjoyment in spreading around.

_But still_—there was something irresistible in the said boy. Though he was still young—just like a little chicken; still surrounded with his childish yellow feathers. But his speech, eloquence, manners and suave movements were speaking of a great self-work and restraint. He needed those _skills_ to pull through victorious from all those aggravating cocktail parties. He also had a need of them to learn to become an adult as fast as possible. With his still teenage body, not yet fully developed, he was viewed as a weak individual and an easy conquest.

The more Ace gazed at this _Sanji_ persona, the more he tuned out the annoying voices of two accompanying him women. As well as a third, fourth and a fifth woman if you counted those who _suddenly_ gravitated to where he stood.

He smirked. He couldn't help it everyone swirled around his stunning self just like bees did around honey.

_It was instinct._

He refocused his awareness to watching the young boy with unusually bright, sunny locks. Boy or a man. It was hard to place him. Looking at his physique and comparing it with his visible traits and psyche, spoke of many contradictions.

It was like watching a show or a scene in the theater, mussed Ace to himself. All those people under the pretense of kind and smiling faces were trying to catch the blond when he made some social _faux pas_. In all those many times when Ace was present at such parties and watched the young sprout being harshly ripped and torn to shreds in brutal social world, he never saw such a full of confidence and poker faced youngster. He chuckled to himself. Seeing all those evil and full of underhanded tricks bastards being turned into weak pile of shit in front of this striking blond was entirely too amusing of a sight to pass on.

No man or woman was free of the influence of Sanji Blackleg's radiating charms.

The more you tried to resist, the more you fell into the clever trap being set by this boy.

You were trying to be on guard and put up all those barriers, but one accidental touch, word, or a simple kind gesture of his; make them all crumble before his very nose.

It was Sanji's blinding innocence and disarming look that made all kinds of people being drawn to him.

But it was also a lethal experience on the long run. Ace knew. Just like a meeting with a sweet smelling nectar _of Venus Flytrap. _Once caught you could never get out but struggle fruitlessly.

Though Ace himself looked very much like a model from magazine in his Armani suit, but he couldn't help from checking out the blond just like others did. Excusing himself politely from the company of ladies to the bathroom, he took two glasses of Champaign on his way. Seeing the young blond boy walking out of the circle of guests—or harpies—in an attempt to take a little breather, he followed him on the patio.

The air was warm and light. Delicate breeze was blowing, making his raven hair pleasantly waver and dance to the rhythm of the evening wind. He stopped near the door and observed from afar the blond teenager. Thankfully there were no couples or single people present anywhere in sight allowing him the privacy of quietly observing the relaxed look on the blond's face. The youth, while keeping his visible eye stayed closed, he inhaled the sweet smell of trees; heavy from the weight of fruits on them.

Ace smiled lightly to himself seeing such childish reaction. Though not quite _childish._ At the same time it could be the look of full appreciation towards nature, the one that spoke of experience and wisdom. A kid could take a momentary pleasure in such a nice evening but it more looked to Ace like the piece of happiness of an old person over the smallest things in life, punctuated by different life-experiences than such glorious and rich background this teen possessed.

It made him intrigued by the said blond and he wanted to talk with him personally.

"Want a drink?" Ace asked as he walked closer in the boy's direction, holding up a glass of Champaign.

Sanji, suddenly brought out of his contemplating state, was startled as he heard someone suddenly speaking to him. He had thought he had been out here all alone. It was like an only place where he could think in peace, now rudely disturbed, but he managed to hide his surprise expertly. His answer followed without missing a beat, "Actually…I'd love to." Who would ever say 'no thanks' to an offered high-class drink? Especially since Sanji due to his young age had to listen to all those _hyenas_ kissing up to him all evening _fucking sober_. He really couldn't express how much grateful he was at that moment. Then his eyes fully taken the stranger's appearance and his earlier feelings of his privacy being violated totally evaporated. It was replaced by a feeling of pleasant and welcome surprise. Something told Sanji the meaning behind the deep cobalt eyes of the handsome man standing before him was different than all others he received in his entire life.

He took gratefully the presented glass and took a sip. "Mmm, Bordeaux '86. My favorite year. Thank you, sir."

"Oh is it really? I jus' took the first thing I saw. Don't understand the purpose in such variety of all those different drinks an' food here," he winked, "Good an' cold beer is what I need right now an' not those _fruity_ drinks." Next he grimaced and showed tongue in mock distaste after tasting the alcohol.

Sanji quirked an eyebrow at that and smirked lightly. "You don't seem to be used to taking a pleasure and simply enjoying such exquisite tastes."

"Mm, I've never been a fan of _light ones_ if ya ask me." Smirked Ace leisurely and strolled slowly to the barrier. He took in the beautiful scenery before him.

"Is that so? Hn, in that case I'm afraid _my pride_, as the one arranging this party, lies here at stake. If even _one_ of my quests is displeased with food or drinks here, I'd be in big trouble from my Old Man's side." Grinned Sanji in answer, interest and mischief painted in his deep blue irises. As he finished the drink, he put down his glass and said; "Let's change the location. I'll show you, _sir_ that you haven't been blessed to taste good quality alcohol in your life yet. If you try my home-made ones I assure you—you won't _ever_ forget the heavenly taste of it." He took few steps down the stairs connected to the patio and motioned for the intriguing raven-haired male to follow him.

"Simply—I _can't_ wait. By th' way. The name's Ace. And what's yours, gorgeous?" Spoke up the raven-hair while still being lead through the back yard to what he assumed was more private part of the mansion.

"Sanji." He answered simply while smirking at the endearment Ace used. He didn't know why but hearing it coming particularly from this mysterious dark eyed male, made a pleasant flutter start in his belly. "Nice to meet your acquaintance. Let's get along." He turned his head, smiling. Reaching the door handle before the blond managed to, raven-hair opened it swiftly—despite how damn _massive _and _expensive_ they looked in Ace's opinion—and said the last line, nearly purring.

"_Mmm_. _Sure thing. Sanji_." Ace grinned broadly and allowed the host to enter his domain first. The blond quirked a brow at the unusual treatment he was subjected under, but amused as he was he decided to go along with it.

The evening turned out to be a start of a long and rocky friendship as well as quite the _fun_ experience in the end, for both of them.

* * *

_**...**_

* * *

_"-ce…Ace! Are you there?"_ Ace was suddenly pulled out of his musing by the swift kick to the head. His sight greeted the image of one irritated as hell blond minx.

"Uhm—sorry, Sanji. I guess I spaced out for a bit there." The raven-haired man answered. "What's wrong?"

"Hn, more like you went into _different dimension_, baka. In what kind of weird fantasies were you engrossed in this time? Wait! Don't even _begin_ to answer on that one. It's better for my sanity _not_ to know." Sanji huffed exasperated and put up his hands halting the upcoming riposte, before Ace even could open his mouth. "_I swear_ you got that from Luffy. Hm, though maybe it didn't actually rubbed off on _you,_ but it was you who were the originator and lil' monkey was just that unfortunate to have it being passed to." He smirked at his stray of thoughts. "Now it makes sense. I must be more lenient on him in the future; it's not his fault he has a shitty ass for a brother as a role model to take after." Sanji teased and looked up nonchalantly at the ceiling, knowing he pushed all the _right _buttons now.

"Oi! _Not fair_." Ace nearly whined. "I was jus' _day-dreaming, _dammit." He emphasized."…tch, don't give me tha' look, ya dick." Ace narrowed his eyes at the now smirking blonds' face; blue eyes shining with unhidden mirth.

"Oh come on! You were having such an intent look on your face and started grinning to yourself like an idiot—I got worried if by chance Luffy's only brother didn't go into a _shock_ from overdose of mind-blowing sex." The blond said with a straight face, making Ace wonder how the fuck he managed to pull his poker face so well every single freaking time… and it pissed him off _each damn time_ too, since Sanji's eyes told totally different story and now they were mocking him and saying _'ha, got ya, fucker!_'.

_"Ace breathe_, _fucking breathe",_ he told himself, otherwise he would launch his fist into the smug blond's face—it would call for retaliation from the lithe and bendy as a snake chef—_and then _they'd end up even more bruised and bloody. More so than a few rounds of rough sex could do. So he chose to play it safe…

_"Yeah fuckin' right._ _And pigs can fly._

_There was no playing safe in Fire Fist's dictionary, ladies an' gentlemen."_

"Shut it, ya idiot. You wanna know what or _who_ I was thinking about? What's this? Playing jealous girlfriend already? Don' worry now, _babe_, ya know I only lo—"Ace said with fake worry, and ducked to the floor mid-speech before the playful but still _lethal_ kick came and connected with his skull.

Laughing while still being on the floor, he felt Sanji's body heat suddenly enveloping him from behind. Sanji's hard as steel knees pinned his tights to the woody surface uncomfortably. Face first with the floor wasn't his favorite _position_ with Sanji, though under different circumstances—with less clothes on and some cushion under his knees he would beg to differ.

He tried to change the position and at least turn half-way so he could grab at the chef's sleeve and turn them around, but had no such luck. The blond devil had him pinned with all the strength of his impossibly long and deadly trained legs.

_"Oh how nice it was to __be between those strong tights—but damn it—mind outta gutter, Portgus! Or ya'll find yourself next second wit' a broken back",_ he mentally chastised himself. He knew first-hand it wasn't recommended getting distracted when Sanji obviously wanted to _fight _not _fuck._ Ace blinked in astonishment. _"No wonder it's confusing—both words begin at th' same damn letter_", Fire Fist snickered at his thought but soon enough had to grasp for air. The Blond probably thought Ace was mocking him and his choke-hold skills. _"The drama queen_", Ace rolled eyes thankful Sanji couldn't see it from his perspective. Ace was left with holding himself up on his hands or choking, so he chose the former.

Sanji laughed playfully and entirely too close to Ace's ear for his comfort, making the boxer squint from the feeling of warm breath on the shell of his sensitive ear. _"Sanji played fuckin' dirty!" _Ace forgot to reinforce one other of their personal rules of not exploring bedroom weaknesses in other fields of life. He'd be sure now to do this later… Or, well, maybe after he gave as much as he received and _then_ banned this …technique.

He liked when things between the two of them were even.

_"Tell me?"_ Purred Sanji wistfully, making Ace red on his face from lack of breath and also insinuation hiding behind the chef's voice.

"Aw, _damn y_—…let my windpipe go, you idiot—_Argh, ya fucking sadist!_ All right! Enough! _And no pinching!_ I'll tell ya …just—don' squeeze anymo'..." He rasped annoyed, voice strained and high under the pressure_. "Payback's are a bitch, Blackleg. You just wait, I'll get yer ass th' least ya expect it, fucker!" _He mentally growled.

Smirking to himself, Sanji let go of Ace so he could breathe properly. After a moment or two, interrupted by Ace's gulps of air, the raven-hair finally spoke while _not-pouting—mind you_, "I—I was thinkin' 'bout France an' our first meeting." He paused for breath once again." …Your annoying voice interrupted me when I finally got t' th' _only_ good part." Ace smirked to himself, while relaxing into the caresses his neck and shoulder blades were subjected under by those expert long fingers, the chef knew how to use so well. _"He must be a natural_", Ace faintly mussed, mind turning to mush from the relaxing feeling.

"Oh? I wonder where that _'good part'_…was." The evident smile was being heard in Sanji's voice and Ace couldn't help but bark a short laugh.

"I got t' the moment where ya invited me t' your _chambers_ t' taste some better goods than those being shown at th' party."

"Aw, I'm _so fucking sorry_ I pulled you out of your little sweet fantasy into _the sad and boring real life_, as well as to the sight of very alive, blond and breathing _perfection_ lying by your side," Sanji heaved an irritated sigh followed by the jab to Ace's ribs. "Do you want me to kick you good an' hard so ya can go back to your day-dreaming?"

_"Shit, chef was getting ticked off, not good", _thought Ace hurriedly, but could voice only pained grunts when Sanji continued his assault on his body, poking sides, ribs and digging his rock-hard kneecaps in his tender muscle on the back of his tights. "Ow, _fuck you_—that hurts!"

"No, it _doesn't_, idiot." Sanji calmly said like comforting a child before getting a mean injection. "If you have time thinking about stupid things and missing something that was in the past then you've become more stupid than when I last saw you, _Portgus_." He smacked Ace over his head, feeling the need to 'punish' the ungrateful bastard. _What?_ Was current Sanji not satisfactory enough for _Hiken no fucking Ace_ the other started missing how he was like those two years ago? _"Screw the fucker"_, so what if he was no longer in the cute and fair-skinned department? Sanji was proud of his athletic figure and masculine features. He wouldn't be able to find a single fucker on this Earth who wouldn't be jealous of his looks now. Unintentionally, Ace brought out to the living light Sanji's past demons when his child-like or woman-like features gave him the label of a whore who got is current position for selling his body.

_"Nice going__, Portgus. You're this fucking close to being put on my shit-list, dipshit." _Sanji seethed internally.

But he also knew Ace wasn't the kind of person to do this intentionally, but still—_it fucking hurt. _

He slid his nails over Ace's back with vengeance making the other squeak in very much undignified way.

_"Oh S__hiiiiiit",_ was the only thought racing through Ace's mind. He instantly pieced the puzzles together and it shocked him how much damage could do one little seemingly innocent revelation. _He didn't fucking mean _that! He'd gut any fucker _even thinking_ about Sanji is such compromising position. Now he got angry nail marks on his back unjust-fully and he still was thankful Sanji took it easy on him. The blond must have came to the same conclusion himself—at least subconsciously—since he haven't used his legs, but Ace felt bad for bringing this topic up after such a nice reunion and so—he swallowed his male-pride and choked out, "Fine, _fine_. My bad, I'm—_I'm sorry_."

Sanji heard the truth in the words and flushed bright red next second, realizing Ace must have realized _why_ Sanji got pissed and gave him _punishment_ for. He laughed awkwardly hearing string of curses Ace murmured under his breath after trying to move and feeling tingles of pain shooting through his abused back. Sanji looked at his fingers and next at the deep, red welts on his friend's back, regretfully. He stood up fluidly next second allowing them both space they needed to pick up their scattered pieces of dignity.

It was Sanji who interrupted the heavy silence surrounding and enveloping them like silent in its hunting anaconda. "About the thing I was asking earlier…How long do you intend to stay here?" The blond opened his pack of cigarettes with shaking fingers and pulled out one stick. He didn't even manage to blink when a lighter was showed in front of his very own eyes. He stiffened and relaxed next second, chastising himself for acting stupid around his best friend, for fuck's sake. The blond appreciated the gesture with a slight nod and took a long drag of the relaxing smoke.

"You still have that lighter?" Sanji asked while quirking his brow up and nodding in the direction of the silver lighter, with flames engraved on it.

"Of course, it's my favorite Zippo. I have a sentiment when it comes to gifts from important people." Ace stated like it was the obvious thing in the world and winked at Sanji while grinning.

It earned him a barely noticeable blush, slight smile from the blond and a thoughtful look. Ace had to admit—at least to his inner stubborn self—there was nothing more endearing than Sanji with pink painted over his nose and cheeks. He wanted to lick it off of him so badly, but he managed to stop himself.

Though barely.

Soon enough the blond shook himself visibly out of stupor and simply asked, "Well?"

"I don't know, but I guess I'll be stuck in this city for a few months. Luffy also wanted me t' stay 'round Christmas saying something like: 'Sanji is gonna make a _big_ fest for us, so you gotta come~!' I can't pass such a delicious invitation now, can I?" The raven grinned.

"W—_what the fuck, Ace! _It's the first time I hear this!" Sanji sputtered angrily. He _hated_ surprises. "….Fucking monkey! _I just know_—later he'd call everyone to my place without so much as _a heads up_ and explain that he forgot to mention it's_ me_ who needs to prepare every—_fucking_—thing…!" Sanji groaned, sliding his hand over his face and slumping farther into the cushions. Then he glanced up at Ace and seeing him grinning stupidly, he connected the dots. "….you motherfucker, you were pulling my leg?"

Sanji's temper was one thing that was known to have no limits, and to change moods like the weather or PMS-ing woman. So to calm the blond down and stay alive until Christmas he explained, "Mah, calm down, _chef_. I'm surprised ya've never done this b'fore, you cook all th' time for 'em, _yeah_? It's nice t' spend Christmas wit' family an' all, but it can get boring over th' time, y'know. Jus' remember how's it at _my_ house. All male, _violent_ an' drunkards on top. _Zero fun_." Ace shivered at the image of Garp in Santa Claus' boxers dancing, singing Christmas carols while piss ass drunk and making Ace sing along or meet _the fist of love_—like the sadist liked to call it. Sanji felt a pang of sympathy for the raven-hair. He heard stories and was glad Zeff could hold his fucking liquor, all right.

"I know Luffy would be s' for _any_ idea of eating food made by you an' well… _it's been_ some time since I saw ya all. It'd be great t' spend th' days together wit' the lot of ya…" said Ace a little bit sheepishly, while rubbing his neck.

Sanji rolled his eyes, sighing he released a cloud of smoke and smiled at him, "Should've put it _that_ way from the beginning, stupid."

Flashing the blond a bright, childish, full of mischievousness smile he said, "But it's _so_ much fun t' rill ya up in th' process."

"Fucker, it's my place you want to turn into a battlefield so you better be good." He narrowed his gaze at Ace and pointed at him with his smoke to show him that 'you don't fuck with the hand that feeds you'. Though—this line didn't necessarily fit into this situation between the two of them. Because _fuck_ Ace did and vice versa.

"Oh, _right_. …one more thing. Would it be cool if I crashed down at your place for few days 'till I find somethin' I could call 'my place'? I got some stuff t' do on th' side an' don't wanna be under Garp's watch twenty four seven."

"What do you need something like that for, idiot? You know I'd like it if I had some company to talk to while I eat." Sanji shot him an irritated gaze and blew cloud of smoke in his direction. "And money is _not_ a problem, you dipshit, so don't even think of mentioning that."

"In tha' case: _sweet_, ya have your own_ stay-in boyfriend_~" Ace laughed with hands thrust in the air from glee, reminding Sanji of raven-hair's little brother so much.

"Fuck you. If it was a sweet, D-cup babe that knew how to get around the house then _I'd fucking love it._ But—" Sanji stood up and pierced him with a glare," I don't want to hear wailing of the other monkey why he couldn't stay at my place too. _For fucks sake, Ace_—you go and tell him some shitty but believable story why you can't stay with him and _Garp_. Well, knowing he'd love to eat out my whole fridge every day and night I can see him already saying _I'm fucking stingy_—without the "fucking" part, of course."

Ace grinned at the blond's problem and shaking his head he said, "Ok, I'll do what I can, but be prepared to see him more often than not at your doors." Ace snickered, but it was a wrong move. Sanji could get really pissed when it came to food and though he loved to make it, but there was a limit to bottomless pits hanging around you all the time. So he kicked Ace upside his head and stopped his laughter when the other hit the table with his forehead.

"Ow, …damn ya, _you meanie_!" said Ace while rubbing his reddened forehead.

"Shut it, you little baby. _And put your damn pants on_. How long do you plan on walking around in your boxers, bastard? What would you do if some sweet angel came in here and seeing such a sight lost her sweet innocence?"

"_Yea', yea'._ I'm doin' it already." Grumbled Ace and walked to find his trousers laying somewhere on the floor…he thought they were thrown somewhere there.

When he got his pants and boots back on, he threw a thoughtful look at the blond—and though he probably _shouldn't_, but even so—he couldn't help but ask: "Ne, Sanji?"

"What?" the blond said a bit irritated while he was busy fixing his tie.

"…ya still use your _perfected_ speech?" Ace asked hesitantly.

"…!" This question surprised Sanji more that he wanted to show it, but Ace saw through his tensing posture that the chef was shaken quite a bit.

"_Sorry._ Forget I asked." Ace blurred out, hoping he didn't step on another land-mine.

"…No. Just forgot for the moment there that someone except the Geezer and me knows about it." He released a deep sigh and flopped onto the still warm sofa. "Habits are hard to let go…but I managed under all those years with Zeff. Even though it's hard to put up pretenses all the damn time… but you know it well yourself… One miss-step and you could be crushed—that was the world I lived in many years. I subconsciously now put up the guard, no matter the person. Sorry if it got to you, I'll try to use it less 'round friends an' all." Sanji smiled lightly and Ace felt he could relax a bit.

"I shouldn't've asked. It was a stupid question—"

"I don't mind. I even forgot about it myself… Funny…the more you try to act the more you bask in the play and can't get the fuck out of it in real life..." Silence followed by that statement and again broken by Sanji's cell going off. Sanji read hurriedly the text and scowled. "Well—don't worry 'bout it, _FF_. I need ta take care of somethin', so here—_catch_. This is the spare key to my apartment. Guard it well, or I'll cut of your balls to pieces with sharpest of my _babies_ an' make you eat 'em."

Ace could only nod. Sanji was _crazy_ about his privacy and he could do just what he said if Ace lost it. The slight slang Sanji spoke with also made Ace's fist stiffen on the cold key in fear it'll slip out. Though he couldn't feel more happier seeing _his _Sanji once again, not a doll who was acting like his friend. He hated how Sanji acted all proper and shit. He saw many times in the past how the blond can get wild and he wanted to see that fire in the blue irises once again. Silence was getting to him so he cleared his throat and said, "I thought ya have classes?"

"Yeah, well—change of plans. I'll take care of it somehow."

"I could go in your stand, though I don' know if th' teachers will appreciate seeing me again." Ace laughed good-naturally.

Sanji rolled his eyes, remembering all those times teachers compared Ace and Luffy and wondered who was a worse natural disaster. They couldn't get to the conclusion, so that spoke volume about our pyro-maniac here.

"Keep your mouth _shut_ an' don't bring me more troubles. I need ta see what I can do wit' Usopp who probably skipped school s' much traumatized."

"Need my help wit' that?"

"You helped enough, stupid. Now _sit tight_ an' wait for your master like a good lil' doggy you ar'."

"_Woof._ Will ya buy me a leash?"

"..Heh! Mmm, I'll think 'bout it—.."

"Woof, woof..!"

"…—but only _if you_ _behave_. We put a lot of shitty money into making this school system work an' Nami will have a fucking fit if you destroy anythin'. _And_ she'll be happy to blow it over my head. _Got it_?"

"Woof!"

"I like your simple answers already. If you're gonna be good 'till then, I'll let you ride your master tonight. How does tha' sound?"

"Woof, woof, woof!"

"Heh! _Good doggy~"_

* * *

_**...**_

* * *

"Well then. How t' go 'bout cornering our scarred shitty little mouse~?" Sanji mussed to himself while descending the school stairs and trying to think up some plan to make Usopp more… _cooperative_; for lack of any better words.

It's not unusual to see at school the same sex couples, but well…it would be pretty surprising if not even _traumatizing_ to see real life porno without censorship and with no other than two straight—_or thought as straight as an arrow_—guys. Adding fuel to the fire—it was one of their close and _very much_ _straight_ friend who caught them on the act. Usopp just had this _luck—_or lack thereof—in finding himself in the middle of the pretty unusual situations. Bringing him more shock and horror than he'd wanted to experience — like _ever_. And they probably even out-weighted all of his previous existences put together.

Well, there always has to be one, poor soul that becomes in the end the sweet sacrifice over the good cause. But this time Sanji would take it easy on their sharp-shooter—_just a little tiny bit._ It wasn't the problem of _not knocking_ this time. Even if he _did_ knock they were too far gone to hear or stop what they were doing. It was just the shitty longnose's bad luck. So to teach him a lesson about _life_ and even give him something good out of this situation — a simple plan started to form in the blond's head. Smiling to himself at the thought that later even Usopp would thank him for, he flipped his cell phone and dialed the number…

"Hey Conis, darling. It's been awhile since we saw each other—" Sanji grinned broadly next moment hearing the excited voice of one of his oldest friends from France.

"...Yeah, I got a call from Old Man just this mornin' hearing you got sick an' tired of Amazon Academy an' put your transfer papers to my school..." Sanji explained while stopping his walk, so he could focus more on the conversation he had.

"—Heh, damn right, we all have a wild streak in us and act on it from time to time. Just teasing an' calling to let you know to keep next weekend free—" He was interrupted by the voice on the other line and listened without interrupting, he could be a gentleman in little things if he gave a damn about other person. And she was a _lady_ who was also additionally his only non-judgmental friend in old continent.

"Yah, I know it will be right after you arrive, but I'm throwing a not-so-surprise party for you an' want you to meet few of my crazy friends— ...Nah, don't worry. Any occasion to fill out Luffy's and other bastard's stomach's is a good one. You'd do the same, yeah?..." He needed to play dirty if he wanted her to agree to his idea. Though she was rich she was far from snobbish — _in fact_ he hasn't met anyone more kind and noble.

"—Oh, did you? Then _sweet_, you can give me few tips then an' I'm sure some sea-food variety prepared by you angel hands would score you some points in their eyes, heh. Knew you'd approve. It's a deal then. —See ya."

After he finished talking he walked out from the school building to the courtyard. His heart feeling lighter after the conversation.

She always had that calming influence on his nerves. And he just _knew_ Usopp with his near damn obsession and fascination with aesthetic beauty would fall head-over heels for Conis. She was a model and pretty much looked like a paintings of innocent angels in many famous cathedrals he's been to and saw. It was a wild guess some would say, but gut feeling never failed him yet, thank you very much.

Since Usopp was out of the picture now, he focused on the text he got. Shanks as a principal could really get overbearing sometimes. Or more like the Principal was just _one big, fucking baby_ most of the time and the one who prevented this school from the fall into a total ruin was the Vice — Benn Beckman. That man was epitome of cool as a cucumber and serious as shit. With his stare, attitude and how he was always smoking on a stick he reminded Sanji of mafia boss. He would be a perfect Godfather. Though Sanji wasn't stupid enough not to know that the real power had Shanks in his hands—or in one hand to be specific. Sanji's Old Man "Red Leg" and "Red Hair" went way back together and never. _ever_ would Sanji dare to disrespect him and brush off Principal's direct orders.

But enough about them. He'd deal with it some time later. Now since he was walking through the courtyard he could just as well take some not-so-healthy pleasure in rilling a patch of green moss, sweating while practicing _kendo _swings, he was sure. He didn't need to go through here specifically, but it was like his usual routine. Something monotone, sometimes refreshing, sometimes aggravating, but necessary. Just like brushing teeth every day was. Zoro also had this soothing influence on him, in a different way than Conis, but Sanji could let go of some of the tension while involving with the swordsman in primal violence and totally kinder-garden jabs. As much as dysfunctional it looked — it was _fun_.

He walked to the opposite building on the left side. The first thing he heard was constant repetitions of thrusts, slashes and hits. He smiled faintly, feeling nostalgic when remembering his old geezer's constant shouts to repeat what he wanted to beat into him with a series of hard kicks.

Though it was during the class time, quite a large group of girls gathered before doors already, waiting and chatting with each other about what was happening at the other side of the entrance. Sanji sneaked as quietly as an advancing predator behind the girls and said in a low voice, managing to scare the shit out of them; "Don't you have classes to attend to, ladies?" Few of them jumped few feet in the air from the scare, squealing and sputtering very much lady-like; "S—_Sanji-sama_! Don't scare us like that!"

Sanji knelt before them on one knee with hand placed over his heart like medieval image of an armor-less knight before his beloved lady. Next he took two delicate hands of the closest girls and looking up into their blushing faces, he said in all seriousness; "Please forgive me~?"

There was a brief silence after his question, more wide-eyed blinking. But it was short-lived, it _always_ was. Instantly followed a noise of snapping necks while nodding vigorously and stuttering incoherently girls too overwhelmed by school's most popular person's sudden appearance. To most East Blue High population it was like a dream come true if he just turned in their direction while passing the corridors.

"If so, would you be so kind and return to your respected classes? It would be a great favor to me and I could be at ease when assured of your safety. Under the watchful eyes of teachers knowing no harm will fall upon you, my ladies. Not to mention not in the place such as sweaty and unhygienic such as here~. And remember to wash your hands on your way back~!"

World had never seen such fast running mass of fan girls before.

"What the hell did you mean with 'unhygienic', _baka-cook_?"

Sanji smirked to himself. He turned around to the very sight of the green patch of moss dressed up in the training gear.

He looked him up from head to toe and back again; making Zoro both irritated and unsettled in the way Sanji did it. Nothing was betraying the cook's straight face and feigned disinterest. His mind and any thoughts were expertly hidden behind his poker face and Zoro was left with a strange feeling of standing bare to the eyes judging him and searching for any weaknesses.

Sanji knew what he was provoking in the other, but he just couldn't help himself.

It was really rare if not totally weird for the cook to change his usual love-struck-idiot manner and suddenly pull such a complicated, secretive or thoughtful look. It made Zoro pleased Sanji showed his other self only in his company and left him wonder at those times what was really hiding behind the layers of fakeness in this infuriating blond.

It's not like Zoro himself didn't have any secrets. He had. Ones such as deeply engraved into his soul that they decided his life-path and were harshly engraved into his skin, as a matter of fact. But the way Sanji went about every little thing, made him irrationally curious. He knew he should stop it and keep it leveled or he'd just get himself into a bigger mess than he originally signed up for.

It was best to keep distance, but at the same time—he just couldn't help it in what direction his instincts guided him. They were _compatible_, he could sense it. Painfully so, sometimes.

It just confused him and he didn't like it. He liked when things were black and white and he refused to let any improper thoughts implant themselves in his head on the long run. He could subconsciously sense Sanji did those things half-heartedly. And Zoro _didn't do_ half-hearted. It just wasn't in his nature. That's why as much as he enjoyed their banter, he got irrationally pissed at times at the attention. The frail balance on the boarder of friends they kept was sometimes paper-thin. But if Sanji wanted to play he could to.

It _was _interesting and refreshing from usual monotony, see.

There wasn't a day when they talked normally with each other and it helped in creating a distance. No spilling life-stories or how life kicked them in the butt, what each scar mattered, or getting shit-faced alone while drinking. Just—competition. Sweat, testosterone and blood. Constant jabs at the other's ego and never ending one-upping made them almost absurdly drawn, but the line was made and neither he nor Sanji crossed it.

When they found themselves in other's company, there had never been a time when they could ignore what his rival was doing, which was infuriating and hilarious—depends on who was fucking with other's mind. They tried to act indifferent—oh hell how they did—but one single word or snort voiced by Zoro made Sanji go nearly ballistic and vice versa. In every gesture they saw a challenge, test or a dare to prove the other wrong. Though they showed their mutual hatred in front of others, but if it really had been pure hate and disdain then they wouldn't even register what the other was saying or doing at times. It was even weirder because they knew, sensed and searched with never fading interest _'what the hell he was up to this time and how can I put a _fuck you_ in his perfect day?'_

It was like an itch. It was pointless trying to ignore it and hope it would go away on its own. The more you tried to focus on something else, the more your thoughts strolled to the place where all this uncomfortable feeling was. And then came the breaking point—making you finally give in. It's something natural. If you tried to make it to go away by giving a little bit of attention to it—_scratching the itch_, mainly—you just dig your grave even further.

Later on, you could only hope when it's all over you'd become free of any lingering sensations, but it's only a temporary solution… but you realize it too late. Far too late, to be more exact!

You're already _too deep_ in this shit to get out of it unscathed. You can grit your teeth and try to fight it with your inhuman willpower, but it's like an annoying fly circling around you and mocking you; _'Look here, you can't catch me. I'll fly here some more 'till you can't fucking handle it and finally snap! Bzzbzz! Bzzbzz!~'_ It laughs at you. You don't know why you know something as weird and disturbing as that, but you just put it under your 'instinct' taking control and believe in what it tells you.

Then you _snap_. And try to kill the little fucking bastard that disturbs your peace. _Fucking, irritating, blond, ass-kicking, skirt-chasing, sweet-talking, and trash-talking walking disaster!_ You can go on and on with the name calling ending with _curly-cue_ and _question-mark_ but you know it will only bring forth new endearments from your nemesis and even some more juicy ones, so you don't go that far after the thousand's time.

You just grit your teeth when he jumps into your space bubble—here in your sanctuary—and you ask point black:

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here, shit-cook?"

"Don't be so defensive, Marimo-_kun_. I didn't come here to fight this time around. I just came here to release the sweet an innocent girls from the evil spell that was cast on them, when they watched as the beast was performing his dance with the sticks…" He trailed off his tale-telling, smirking internally how Usopp would be proud of those scraps of thoughts worded so beautifully, but no—he didn't want to go thinking about the shitty long-nose for now. He'll have all weekend to deal with that problem and threaten him into keeping his damn mouth shut.

The more he talked the more face of the national-living-treasure was changing from irritated to homicidal. It was such a funny sight, so it was no wonder that Sanji wanted it to surface every single day or even better: every single time they meet!

There was a time when he actually tried to count it. Meaning—how many times in a day he could rill up the swordsman till the marimo snapped and went full out on Sanji without usual slight reservations because of being on school grounds. At first it was five intelligent jabs. Then next time he altered his speech patterns to accommodate the low IQ of the little lost mossy here and it went down drastically. Now he wasn't even trying. Well, _he was_, but it came out so _naturally_ to him. Sanji felt then such_ deep-bone_ satisfaction followed by pure enjoyment that he stopped minding the shit-swordsman's brutish exterior when it came to fairer sex, simply taking the base pleasure from pushing Zoro to the his breaking point.

It was also another jab at the swordsman's stoic attitude. With his hours-long meditating sessions and trying to clear his mind from useless thoughts or aggravating people; it was a test to see how on the longer run presents itself his willpower and steel nerves in the prospect of _distraction_.

One, single, blond, foul-mouthed, kickass _distraction_…

Zoro gritted his teeth so hard trying to calm his temper. Sanji could swore he heard them cracking from the strain. But _damn_, it was only a wish. The green-haired bastards had teeth made probably from _fucking titanium_. Zoro could held a freaking _sword_ between them and use it as well as those in his hands.

_Fuck_, but the mental image was one of a kind; hot, dangerous, awesome, incredulous and exciting as hell. And the Marimo could even _talk_ clearly and normally while performing these circus-tricks. Sanji had to physically stop himself from shuddering at the thought of this foul-mouth talking and around something better than a hard and cold sword… Sanji swallowed thickly distracted by his own treacherous mind. Only someone blind would be resilient enough to swordsman charms, but Sanji probably from loving art, beauty and strength above all else, as well as appreciating a good _fuck—_he couldn't help but sometimes wonder what was Zoro like in bed. _Maybe_ he could convince the brute to a little something with him and Ace. The boxer would be damn _ecstatic _at the idea, Sanji was sure. Thank god Zoro was too distracted to realize Sanji giving him appreciative and measuring looks.

Zoro was busy deciding which option sounded best: slashing the stupid and irritating blond fucker to pieces, or giving him a black eye. Matching to his ivory skin and making him look like a freaking _panda-doppelganger_. That last image was hilarious enough to calm swordsman's temper slightly. He smirked at the blond and even wider seeing Sanji's wariness and said sweetly: "What a shame it is that no other but_ the Beauty_ wandered off to such dangerous place. Let me act like a gentleman this time 'round and—_show you the door_." The last line he said while grinning evilly and shut the door loudly before the said _Beauty_.

To say Sanji was stunned was an understatement. Well more stunned him was the fact that mossy was learning! And instead on relying on his barbarian's strength he used his wits. _"But—shake out of it, Sanji. It's still the fucking shitty bastard who shut the door before your nose! And there's never been any man or a woman that dared to do such a thing as this to you before!"_

Though those people knew about his other—bedroom skills—which here weren't even acknowledged or taken into consideration by the green shit here. _But_ he'll show him in the ways that stupid meat-head will understand, on many levels at that, that you don't fuck with Sanji and leave him next hanging…!

Before Zoro got away from the door, his perspective suddenly changed and he was left looking stupidly up at the ceiling.

_'What the fuck?'_ He thought. Next second his brain registered the pain in his lover back and legs. It was followed by the feeling of burning lungs from having his breath abruptly taken away. When his eyesight focused a little bit more and everything stopped swimming all around, he could feel the pounding of his head from hitting his scull on the hard floor. Into his view came the cool and suave looking prissy little bastard he knew so well and he immediately understood what happened. He snarled at the surprise attack and threw his own legs in the attempt to swipe the blond off of his legs and also have a taste of an amazing first contact with the ground. But _fucking dammit_! It was difficult to move like a freaking contortionist here could; like he didn't have any bones inside of his body.

And so they engaged in another wrestling session or more vicious_ struggle_ and manlier version of a cat-fight.

Both—Zoro and Sanji—seemed to forget that it was in the middle of a teaching session and quite a few students were present. _Well_, it _was_ helluva dangerous to get between the two wild grown up cats fighting with all of their extraordinary agility—so they just stood there—_dumbstruck_. Only Zoro's sensei shook his head and had an enigmatic smile on his face, not at all displeased by the interruption and even glad on some fundamental level for this not so unusual with these two — a break from monotone routine.

One moment Sanji was victorious and in the next it was Zoro's turn. Finally, due to the sheer muscle mass, the swordsman managed to pin the other down. Though it wasn't done without sacrifices — busted lip, new, fresh forming bruises, but the same could be said about the blond. Zoro gave as much as he received. So when he fisted his hand in Sanji's expensive baby-blue silk tie —and pulled hard — a heated "That's cheating, you bastard!" could be heard. Zoro only grinned breathlessly at that, sweat clinging to his brows and rolling over his heated skin on his strained neck.

The lock, Zoro tried to expertly to put on the trashing wildly blond sweating and panting mess, was broken by the sound of music playing from Sanji's cell phone. In that moment they both froze for a split second. And Zoro knew. Even before the move came. He _knew_ he fucked up by allowing his restrain to slightly waver. It was impeccable to an outsider's eye — but still — his hold wavered. No one other would have been able to see it, but Sanji felt it. And Zoro saw it in the blond's expressive blue eye that the fun was over.

He felt the tensing of tights underneath him and like a strong wave it hit him. It was so sudden that no one even registered when it happened. Moment later, Zoro laid on his back stunned by being thrown so swiftly by the snap of fucking incredibly flexible hips.

Sanji walked up to his disregarded suit he left at the floor in haste to take Zoro off guard. He fished out his cell phone. It was a text message. He sighed heavily, shut his phone and swiftly put inside his pant's pocket. After he fixed his tie, he turned around. The sight before him almost made him burst into laughter. All the students stood there with mouths gaping wide open, like they couldn't believe what they saw. He threw a look at the lone mossy still sitting on the floor and … impossible, but was the swordsman — _moping?_ Wow, it was twice in a day and because of something Sanji said or did. It must be some kind of a freaking record, or end of the world is coming. _Run, people, run!_

Sanji in his 18 years of life never thought that a sight of a big, green, and ignored piece of Marimo would make him melt inside and think _'how adorable'_.

He tasted the word on his tongue and barely resisted the urge to spit or he'd be misunderstood. Feeling slightly less angry at the stupid mossy who wanted to rip off of him his favorite tie — he walked up to Zoro. He crouched so they were eye-leveled and said in as much patronizing tone as he could muster, "Aw, good doggy. _Good~._" While totally messing up the shit swordsman's hairstyle.

He couldn't stop the bubbling laughter when Zoro was shaken visibly by being treated like some damn _pet_. He instantly went into full out demon-mode and chased after Sanji out of the _dojo_. Bandanna tightly wrapped around his head and three _bokkens _out. Two held in his hands and one between his teeth, promising _sweet pain_ when he got the blond fucker in his attacking range.

The deafening silence after such spectacular performance was interrupted by the _kendo_ sensei. "All right. The show's over. For slacking off… each of you do 300 repetitions of _katas_." Students, finally put out of the frozen state they were in, groaned and proceeded to do just that. Any complains were bitten off because of the promise of even harsher punishment. Their sensei could be all smiles one second and next be like devil from hell. But one of them still mumbled under his nose quite loudly, "Damn, lucky Zoro…" Sensei only smiled. The corners of his mouth doing a little twitch.

He sighed thinking how nice it's to be young and how those best years in most people's lives pass so very quickly. Before he focused on correcting student's forms, a thought passed through his mind how Zoro has yet to stand before the greatest ordeal in his life and he couldn't help but wonder about where the path leading to the future will take the two bipolar friends.

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_End of chapter 2 part 1. Review? :3_


	3. Chapter 2 Part C

_A/N: Time sure goes by so fast, o.0. I'm alive and kicking, having more new ideas than I can handle. I'm sorry, I wasn't very active past months, but I'll get back and email to all my friends I neglected. Things came up and I needed to step back and reconsider some things._

_I was supposed to upload it just after the earlier one, but I got side-tracked. My mind didn't want to work around it anymore and it was hard to get back the feel of this fic. I fixed this part, I'm sure there are mistakes I didn't catch but I tried and now I'm awfully exhausted and drained. It's just as hard to write something new as battling with an old idea and refreshing it. It was really tough work. But I've risen victorious, ha! I did it for those who still keep an eye on it, fave and alert. Thanks so much guys!_

___PS. I probably totally slashed my beta's crystalbluefox's work, lol. But without it, I wouldn't know what things I did wrong and how to fix it. I learned from my mistakes, I think. Thanks doll. And—this is gonna be totally random but true—I had a dream with you Nille few days ago, so weird, but awesome too, *laughs*_

_Apple._

* * *

…

* * *

Sanji opened the door to his apartment and walked inside. He barely managed to close it when a familiar, warm body pressed against his own, and a hot mouth gave him a couple of playful pecks on the lips.

"Welcome home, _darlin'_." Ace said. His eyes sparkling mischievously delighted so. "I've always wanted t' do tha'." He gave Sanji a loop-sided grin as he stopped kissing the blond. It was a hard task to do so, since _oh boy_ but Ace knew Sanji could _kiss_. But there was no need to act like a thirsty, molesting leech; they could always have some 'time alone' later on. Wait and a promise were the best kind of spices, Ace had discovered a long time ago.

Sanji rolled his eyes and sighed. He waited for the raven haired man to give him some space, so he could take off his shoes. But Ace wasn't budging. His eyes shone with a great dose of expectations, and Ace's face reminded more that of an eager puppy waiting for his master's attention, than a human_. _

_'Wait. A puppy?'_ A thought crossed Sanji's mind. He realized what Ace has been waiting for and decided to follow along. He smirked and said, "Yeah, I'm home," He leaned in, diving for a deep, toe-curling and messy kiss that left Ace growling with satisfaction.

"Did ya buy anythin' for dinner?" Ace hopefully asked the moment they broke off the lip-lock to give their oxygen-depraved bodies some air.

Sanji shook his head in exasperation. He forgot for a moment that Ace was a brother to the _bottomless pit_ and had a really healthy appetite as well.

Sanji gave himself few seconds to mourn the thickness of his wallet and then answered. "I hope you'll stop for a moment and actually_ taste_ the variety of dishes I'm going to be making, and won't be picky about vegetables like your shitty brother is."

The moment he got free from the touchy-feely 'wifey' the blond busied himself looking through the bags of food he bought, trying to come up with something delicious but simple to cook. Ace helped him next by taking the shopping bags into the kitchen. He answered with a wide grin, "Best chef in whole world cookin' for me an' taking care of my many, _many_ base _needs—_an' personally at tha'. How could I be dissatisfied with anythin'?"

"Keep sweet-talking me like that and perhaps this _Great Chef_ will be on your exclusive service for today."

"In tha' case—_I'll do my best_." The raven haired man gave Sanji a toothy smile and helped with unpacking the ingredients for dinner.

* * *

…

* * *

After the dinner Sanji got busy washing the dirty dishes. Ace helped him up by drying the ones Sanji already washed. They engaged in comfortable silence, interrupted by the monotone chef's voice saying _'here'_, while giving the next plate for Ace to dry.

"_Tch_, damn." Sanji hissed the moment he felt a sharp sting on one of his fingers.

"Ya cut yourself?" Ace asked alerted.

"It's nothing." Sanji sighed. "I made it on my way home when I caught something falling from the 3rd floor in the shopping district," He huffed, glaring at his hand.

"I could've washed it without you. Now ya've reopened th' wound."

"It's _just_ a scratch. Not a wound." He defended petulantly.

"_Right._ Then why ya looking like th' hand offended you? Don' get all emo like ya did after tha' one incident wit' how fast can ya slice an apple makin' only one peal."

"Shut up. That was different. And I was _distracted_ then. Distracted!"

"Uh huh. _Whateva _man. So what was this _somethin'_ tha' made ya go into heroic-mode an' save the day?"

"Don't mock me. And I said it was nothing."

"Oh, no trash-talking from you? Was th' thing fallin' something quite big, alive an' equipped with a set of deadly boobs?"

"…I won't even bother answering any of your stupid questions." Sanji scoffed, walked pass Ace to finish cleaning up the table. Ace followed him, with not amused look on his face and arms crossed over his chest.

"Ya mean rhetorical. Oh you big baby, it will heal in no time. Don' look like someone just died. Just let me see." Ace said and extended his hand to Sanji. When the blond shot him annoyed glance and got back to what he was doing earlier Ace growled, "Give. Me. Your. Damned. Hand."

"…Fine." Sanji sneered and showed him his hand palm up.

"Hn, there's very little blood. You've been through some serious shit before, but now ya hiss an' get all upset by such a fuckin' minor thing," Ace scolded him. He rolled eyes seeing Sanji's glare, "I know, I _know_. Don' glare at me. _Your hands are more important than your life_—I heard it dozens of times from ya, but you overreact, idiot. An' then make it all worse. Here—this will help t' heal it in no time." Ace smiled and without breaking the eye-contact, he lifted Sanji's hand to his face and gave the wound a lick.

Sanji was so surprised the words _'bastard, what the hell are you doing_!_?'_ froze on his lips. The look Ace's eyes held was so purposeful and direct it made Sanji stop whatever he wanted to say, immediately. He was interested and curious, though, in whatever his raven haired friend wanted to do next. Interested indeed.

Ace, convinced his message managed to successfully came across, started leaving a wet trail along the blond's long and skilled fingers. Still a little wet from the clean water he used to wash the cut and blood away. Going intentionally slow, he took two of the blonds' fingers into his mouth and starting with delicate nips, followed by kittenish licks, he ended up on giving a few deliberately slow sucks to the appendages. The look on his face spelled—_it was the best thing he had ever tasted_. It was so arousing and hot scales couldn't even register it.

Sanji watched him like a hawk would a pray. His falling mouth slightly open, a little pants coming out of it, shortened breath, faster heart-beat—all the signs of his excitement. The blond was like transfixed, he couldn't look away from the way his own fingers disappeared into the warm and moist place of Ace's mouth. He also wasn't able to break off his eye-contact with those deep, opal ones daring him to take on this challenge—_to give in_. And so he did break. He let those sinful lips nip at his fingers; cherish them like no one else had ever done before. He pushed at Ace's tongue, creating more friction and stirring Fire Fist's own desire by playing with the sensitive parts of his mouth.

The sensations were short of maddening. It was comparable to electricity shooting from the beginning of his fingertips, next being sent through his whole body while creating a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach, and ending near his toes. Totally exhilarating.

Ace took his sweet time. Like a curious child who found a new toy to play with. He sucked on chef's fingers with great relish.

"_Kami_—you're good at that," Sanji's voice was rough, hoarse and a little bit on the breathless side, though he tried to hide it. He didn't want to show how he loved it when someone played with his hands, how Ace could hit any of his erogenous zones so perfectly and effortlessly.

Sanji couldn't take it any longer. He pulled his abused fingers out and crushed his lips onto Fire Fist's. It was brutal and hard. All teeth and no finesse. He would have never kissed a girl that way, but Ace was no woman, and he could take all Sanji could dished out. Even gave back just as much or even more.

The blond didn't want to acknowledge how freaking aroused he started to feel. It was almost embarrassing how such a rare show of attention would make him feel. He smashed Ace into the sink behind him and kissed the raven haired man breathless. They licked and nipped at each other's tongues and lips, battling for dominance, and rubbing at each other through clothes, trying to get more of the other's distinctive taste. Sanji's fisted his hands in the jacket Ace wore over his bare torso. He pulled him closer, allowing their upper bodies to have more of the necessary contact.

Fire Fist's hands let go of the sink immediately and like magnet followed and stuck to the blonds' hips. It was the sexiest part of the chef's anatomy, probably. Or his ass. Or legs, or…well, you get the idea. It was simply hard to choose more desirable part when all of Sanji's body was like Michael Angelo's finest work. What was the most catching part according to most, was the fully muscled, pert and perfectly developed Sanji's bottom. Wars could be fought over it—it was flawless. From experience and years of experimenting with his orientation, Ace knew women had nice bottoms too, but flabby, filled with other things instead of pure muscles. But the chef's ass was something words of mortals couldn't objectively describe. The years of training martial arts, gave birth to creating this masterpiece that no man or woman could pass by without turning around to fest eyes some more. And lick lips, and fantasize about how good it exactly feels to touch. And Ace had it all for himself. Maybe not yet exclusively and officially, but he knew he was one of the privileged ones. And he never looked in a gift horse's mouth.

Ace could touch and explore it, freely and without any promises of pain later on. It was a matter of trust and bond they shared. And he'd be damned if he didn't humbly take what was offered to him on a plate like that. Considering also it was Sanji, it was one of a kind achievement. Since the blond, even if behaved like a love-struck fool sometimes, he was the type to really cherish his privacy. And as far as Ace could remember, Sanji never let himself to be touched, and openly at that, by the fairer sex. He was excellent at keeping a distance yet not making things feel awkward or distant. He was an enigma at times.

It started to become a few degrees warmer in the room. Delicious friction under the line of their waists was to be blamed for that, surely. They could perfectly feel the shapes their straining erections had, even through the layers of confiding clothes, but it was adding to the excitement and making their dry-fuck so much more enjoyable by the added resistance.

Gasps, muffled curses, bitten back groans and reluctant moans were filling the silent room.

It wasn't enough, though.

The desire soon started to be impossible to withstand.

Ace moved frantically against the blonds' tight pushed between Fire Fist's own legs. Without pausing, he drowned Sanji with series of messy and soul-chasing kisses subsequently on lips, jaw, neck, and collarbone. The blond obviously loved the attention. He arched his back impossibly far, allowing Ace the space to molest and appreciate every piece of Sanji's ivory skin. The more of it was revealed, the more shirt buttons Ace managed to open.

Sanji released a long moan and bit at the back of his fingers to stop those wanton sounds from coming out. He was still bend backwards and Ace had position-adventage over him and didn't like the thought of Sanji keeping quiet. Fire Fist bit down at the nipple, abused by his tongue moment earlier, took it between his lips next and …_sucked._

The blond's hand found a purchase in Ace's hair. He clenched his fingers tightly, holding on for dear life and took pleasure in the raven hair's ministration all over his body. A long cry was released at last, from stubborn chef's mouth, at the handling. It was Ace's undoing too. Sanji could feel clearly how Ace's body went rigid, then stilled, and lastly relaxed. The blond pulled himself up and looked Ace in the eyes. He saw him panting open-mouthed, a look of accomplishment in his cobalt eyes. Sanji coated the raven hair from the euphoria he reached. After Ace's breath returned to normal, he voiced his own burning hotly need.

"On your knees—_now_!" He growled into Ace's ear, and punctuated it by harsh bite. He still was rock hard and the pause in sweet torture Ace was subjecting him under was driving him slowly mad.

Ace didn't waste any second, dropping to the floor and busing himself with something more needy and starving immediate attention. Hearing how Sanji demanded it so strongly made his chest swell with pride. He took him down his throat like a pro, and started fast but steady pace of licking, sucking, pulling and literally fucking himself on Sanji's cock.

Ace swallowed around the blonds' shaft making Sanji nearly whine. Feeing chef's erection already pulsating on his tongue, he did it again, pulled back next to catch his breath and finished Sanji by taking him until his nose nestled into the blond's pubes. He didn't believe in spitting and Snaji would get annoyed for wasting good proteins, so he gulped down all of the spilled essence. Not his favorite type of food, but not bad either. A man could get used to it, especially since it came from the gorgeous creature before him. Looking totally ravished and sexed up now.

The blond almost crumbled, his knees feeling like a piece of jelly-o. Sanji tried to calm down his erratically pounding heart as Ace steadied him to the floor, nipping delicately on chef's lips and giving him time so he could return to normal.

It was only a start. An introduction to something… much better. And they didn't waste time to get into Sanji's bedroom to continue, stealing kisses and groping each other in the hallway.

Sanji couldn't recall the details. He must have turned off the water and he must have locked the door behind him. He couldn't be sure, though. Ace also didn't know how but somehow it happened and here he was now, hovering above Sanji who was sprawled on the large bed in a heap of blond glory and flawless ivory splendor. He looked down and saw those deadly, beautiful and homicidal legs. Lean, taut, endless as ever and for once they finally did not burn with the intent to aim a kick to his head. He wasn't given much time to take in the amazing view, because he soon found himself being turned around by those god-like hips and it was him who was now on the mercy of this playful blond and could once again be assured that the chef was indeed damn…good...with…his... hands…

The faint night breeze wasn't enough to do more than lightly caress their strained and sweat-slicked bodies. The graceful fingers Ace adored so much were tracing irregular patterns over his feverish skin, making him ascend to a hotter and better place.

Fire Fist felt as a wicked, _wicked_ tongue playfully dipped into each and every dip and hollow of his muscular torso. Sliding next infuriatingly slow over his rippled stomach and savoring hungrily the salt of his perspiration. Marking and claiming his temporary ownership over the beautiful but deadly in its intoxicating nature, body underneath.

Ace thought he was dreaming. Or in heaven. Or in some other happy place. Those beautiful hands, descending with practiced, over the years, ease. Altering between feathery and light caresses. Next putting more pressure with fingernails, at the sensitive places, making him arch hopelessly into the touches. So precious and that's why very much welcome in those rare moments when they weren't stingy in showing their sweet and arousing attention to others.

His eyes didn't stop drinking in all of the details of the blonds' focused hands, warm tongue and infuriating even, in their slowness, pleasurable strokes.

He took in those times. The forbidden satisfaction of being one of those not many who were granted the most valuable thing—permission of being submerged under those hands, too valuable to be used and gamble in pointless fights.

They were fueling Ace's steadily growing desire, but still being playful and giving not enough. Not enough to satisfy, not enough to bring him sweet release, but still. Keeping interest. And that's why he bit on his lips. Afraid that the sounds coming from his mouth would be those of a wanton whore.

"God—_fuckin'_—dammit! Don't be such a damn tease..!"

He might have said that out loud. And he probably did. Because he heard a faint chuckle near his abdomen and he felt tight, warm circle of chef's experienced mouth around the most sensitive part of his body.

"_Mother of_—" He fisted his hands in the bed-sheets, unable to form any coherent thoughts, his whole focus being on the maddening, slick warmth on his cock and amazing suction. To say he could die happy would be an understatement, but—it was far from ending!

It was fun too. For the one on the receiving end it was incomparable to anything equally good. But it was fun for the one giving too. They often played like that. Judging and looking for the moment the other would start crumbling. A test or a challenge, you could almost call it. And they both were the kinds that never backed down, so they only threw _'bring it on!'_ with their eyes, every time it happened. And, with those two so stuck up on the winning, it was only a matter of time before the dare was over. Before someone broke and succumbed to the pleasure.

Sanji's throat was working to take the sudden length that was a rapidly thickening in his mouth, if it was even possible to make it harder, but somehow the blond managed it with a little bit of help of his trained by lots of trash-talking tongue. Looking up at Ace he saw almost a broken man. He thought to himself that it would be over soon, but he still wasn't entirely satisfied with his work.

He remembered the words of one beautiful woman in France that taught him an amazing trick to perform the perfect oral. If it worked so well on women then following the similar principle and it should work on men too, right? He smirked around the straining shaft. Concentrated next on his tongue, he worked his mouth to write and spell—_Portgus D. Ace_.

Sanji finished the masterpiece by lightly grazing with teeth over raven haired man's cock, then licked it, long and slow—and fuck, but there was the sound that he had been waiting to hear—the hard earned _wail_ was ripped out from Fire Fist's stubborn soul.

A violent shiver went through Sanji's body, making him groan around Ace's erection. After doing that, he tasted already the leaking pre-come. It was an indication that Ace was close. Close but not there yet.

Wanton whimpers, then moans slipped unguarded from the raven-hair's lips. He tried to keep his face neutral, focused and strained. Trying fruitlessly to keep his calm and _hold on_, but with every passing second, with every swift lick of Sanji's expert tongue, he was loosing it.

It was a dirty, loud and messy blowjob and Ace loved every, nearly tortuous from extend of pleasure, second of it.

Ace knew Sanji didn't much like it, but he needed to touch, to feel, and see. He released his death-grip on the bed-sheets and holding himself up on his elbow; he slid the fingers of his right hand into the cool silk of the cook's hair.

Sanji looked up, intrigued by the gesture. He didn't know why, but he didn't mind it. It was Ace. A nakama. Friend. Comrade. They had each other's back and, most of all, Sanji felt the most comfortable in his company. He didn't need to pretend, overly try to keep up his façade, and act. He was himself in Ace's company. And the more this realization sunk, the more the blond saw Fire Fist in different light. It unsettled him that he quite liked the idea of them becoming something more, or at least staying just the way they were. Because nothing scared Sanji more as a thought of loosing this thing, this _bond_ they had. So this time he let it slip. Allowed Ace to touch him in such an intimate way, to cares his face like a lover would.

Ace's fingers massaged his scalp and, from time to time, giving a light pressure to indicate the pace he wanted Sanji to keep. The blond gave Ace the control, following the directions of Fire Fist's hand.

Though Sanji liked compromises, his lips and jaw began to hurt. Wanting to take it to the next level—and soon, or his dick would burst ending the fun all too soon—the blond coated his fingers with lotion in order to prepare Ace for something more satisfying than a simple blowjob.

He lifted up the raven's left leg, and bent it in the knee while pushing to the side, for better access. Continuing the even pace, steady pressure of his left hand on the base of Ace's cock, and sucking at the crown of his member—he pushed one slicked finger inside of Fire Fist, screwing it already so he could coat thoroughly his inner walls with the lotion.

Ace grunted at the intrusion, but soon the uncomfortable feeling started to dull and fade away. He started pushing his hips down to get more of that sweet and forbidden friction. Sanji getting a clue of it, pulled out almost entirely and added one more finger. He started to make scissor movements to loosen the raven hair up some more, and pushed them deeper, searching for that special spot that would make all the uncomfortable feeling disappear, leaving only blinding pleasure in its wake.

Ace clenched his teeth the moment Sanji added the third digit. The blond feeling the raven's fingers tensing in his hair, took him in deeper and swallowed around the swollen flesh. Ace thinking process nearly stopped, he forgot about having any fingers up his ass, as he got swept by the feeling, and released a passionate, deep-throated growl.

Sanji, satisfied with his work, pulled his mouth away from Ace's length, making said person swallow down a whimper at the lost hot mouth and tongue. Sanji gave him one, last, long lick over the mushroom head, giving extra attention to Ace's slit. The blond felt the tights under his elbows tremble. Feeling mean he twisted his fingers inside Ace, brushing at the pleasure-spot agonizingly slowly, making Fire Fist shout and release a string of colorful curses.

He loved the reaction.

The blond—a mean tease in Ace's opinion—locked his eyes with Ace's own and did it again—once again making Fire Fist hold onto his sanity like a drowning man would clutch at the straw.

He was _that _desperate, but _like hell_ he was going to admit it.

"So fucking hot!" Sanji said while looking at his work. Ace was a mess, a very sexy, ravished and almost delirious from pleasure kind of mess.

His mouth panted helplessly for air, eyes clouded with desire and slightly unfocused, the perfectly shaped body slicked with sweat and showing off even more those perfect, taut curves. And Sanji couldn't help the cruel smirk as he, once again, brushed the gland. It was cruel, he knew. But it was so,_ so_ hot too. He couldn't help himself. His musings were short-lived as the blond felt an unforgiving grip on his own, starving for attention, cock.

"_Nnngh_, fuck—" Sanji moaned, and bit at his lower lip to keep the whimpers or shouts at bay.

"Ya—ya_ fucking_ tease—! _Mnnh_, get your damned dick_… moving_, or I'm gonna rip it off an' fuck myself with it if ya won't do anything, motherfucker. I'm fuckin' _dying_ over here!" Ace rasped. Voice heavy and laced with an underlying promise of pain. He squeezed Sanji's erection again, pumping it once, then _twice_, for a good measure, to get across that he had enough of playing. That he wanted to get screwed _hard_ into the next week, preferably.

Sanji was happy to oblige just as soon as Ace released the death-grip on his cock. He fumbled with lotion, shakily pouring into his palm generous amount of it. The blond gave it a moment to warm up and went for the kill. The whole sexy play was making him so aroused he was sure he wouldn't last as long as he'd wished to.

Ace wanted to laugh at the blond's erratic and hurried movements while cursing, but he was also too far gone. If nothing more stimulating had happened next second, he was ready to finish himself off or he would go _insane_.

"Dammit, Sanji. Fuckin' _hurry_—" He hissed through clenched teeth.

He laid back, lifted his left leg over the blonds' shoulder, allowing the best angle for a deep and hard pace. Ace didn't want _slow_ now. Slow could go and fuck itself. What he wanted—no _craved—_was to be fucked hard and fast. _And now, or else—_

"Shut your trap, I'm goin' in."

Sanji held tightly onto Ace's hip and muscular tight with an almost bruising strength. He pressed it flush to his own chest and without fucking around any longer, the blond lined his cock with Ace's puckered entrance and pushed. It was a _tight_ piece of Heaven on Earth. And the warmth engulfing him was so damn worth the slow preparation before.

"_Nnnh_, fuck yeah, ah!" The blond choked out. He had a death-grip at Ace's hip and tried to hold onto his last bits of brain-cells still working. Can you go stupid from pleasure? He sure felt like it. He knew Ace could take it, so barely giving any pause—Sanji started pounding with his slick hardness the living daylight out of Fire Fist.

Ace breath speed up, while making an effort to visibly relax his muscles. It's been awhile since he bottomed, but Sanji prepared him well enough. He concentrated on the feeling of fullness instead of the uncomfortable one, or being stretched to his limit, that is. Bottoming wasn't all rainbows and sunshines, it took a lot out on the body. But Fire Fist knew Sanji could take care of him, so he just needed to take a shotgun, this time, and relax. Soon enough, he got used to being invaded. His prostate gland being assaulted mercilessly helped with it too.

Sanji pulled out, once more, leaving only the head of his cock inside. He trusted in with one snap of his made for it, flexible hips. The blond's grip on Ace's body was short of bruising, but he needed that for a better leverage. The marks will fade, though, so he wasn't worried.

The sweat trailing down their bodies could be just as well a picture of a map, with many rivers and streams visible. It was intense. Sounds of skin on skin slapping, and moans were not only lauder, but there could be felt an inhuman desperation to reach the goal.

"Harder, ya pussy!" Ace gasped out while rocking down his hips to meet the blonds' thrusts.

"I'll—_nnnh_—I'll give you harder, fucker. Just—_fuck!_—don't blame me when you won't be able to—_ah!_—walk for a week." Sanji growled. The agreement, promise and a threat, in all.

"Tch, bring it. Less talking—_mmmh_—more fucking, _blondie_—" Ace rasped. Sanji only grinned at that. He had a green light and was about to rock Fire Fist's world.

It turned out to be a fucking amazing day.

The blond licked his lips one last time, because, from now on, this ride would be only a passing blur. Filled with fast breathing, lots of gasps, moans, groans, and shouts for "More—_mmmnh_, yeah just like _that— fuckin'_ harder— don't stop!—_oh_, god _yesss_, so close!—so fucking close..."

* * *

…

* * *

"I didn't get t' be on top," Ace said in a mock-displeasure. "Ya owe me."

"Idiot," scoffed Sanji. He sprawled on the bed, head across Ace's stomach. "In whose house do you think you crash? You should honor your host's wishes."

Ace grinned at him and helped Sanji light a cigarette.

"Y'know. Makes me wonder where the hell you keep the lighter all the time." Sanji asked while taking a drag.

"Hn, interested? Better ya don't know." He winked.

"Well, I've seen every freaking part of your body so it's natural to wonder where your flame always magically appears from," Sanji puffed perfect rings of smoke into the air, making Ace grin at the show. "You don't smoke but you always keep a lighter around." The blond said, while pointing up at the ceiling with the fag he held.

"I—I love flames. Colors like layers, warmth it gives, destructive power it has… It can't be restricted, put out off when at best, an' it doesn't yield to anyone."

"Hm, Sounds like one fucking hot and kinky male I know." Sanji wiggled a curly brow at Ace.

"Heh—well, I try t' keep my reputation high an' intact."

"…I meant to ask you how's—ah, maybe let's leave it for later. Forget it. By the way, good to finally hear anything from you. _That you're alive_, shithead." Sanji emphasized it with an elbow to Ace's gut, making the raven double over from the impact and pain. "Don't disappear on us like that again. Luffy believes in you and… don't do anything that would worry him, k'?"

"Worried 'bout me?" Ace wheezed, while nursing the wound.

"I'm not fucking kidding and I'll really hurt you if you act up again, bitch."

"Oww— Stop kickin'. Ok. I know… Sorry."

"…Huff. See my eyes rolling? Like I'm gonna believe you mean it sincerely, you adrenaline-junkie!"

"Ya tell me t' lay low an' I see you're trying t' fight again." Ace pointed out, self-satisfied he could turn the conversation-argument around.

"Aw, no bentou for the shitty monkey tomorrow."

"Actually it wasn't my brother tha' spilled th' beans."

"..? Then how do you know?"

"I guessed, ha! So ya really are goin' t' fight again?" Ace smirked.

"You shit-head—"

"Ah, ah, ah. No need t' get agitated, my friend. I know you well. And you're just too easy t' bait sometimes. I doubt anyone beside me can do it s' easily, though, so chill out."

"…Fine, not like I wanted to hide it from you. Well, at least not for long. There's something we wanna built and we need cash. And besides that—there's no way I could pass on something like that." Sanji stated.

"Yea, tryin' t' actually talk ya out of it is like th' thought of my brother becomin' a _vegetarian_."

"Don't laugh, fucker. It's not like you don't want to." Sanji pointed out.

"Well,_ I_ proved myself t' be th' best unlike some—"

"—Go ahead and finish it. You can even start packing now."

"E—erm, I was just kiddin'! Fer serial. …An' who is goin' t' treat all those bruises ya gave me with your horse-kicking?" Ace pouted.

"Better worry about those hickeys you have all over around your neck and chest. Maybe you wanna try on for once one of my shirts?"

"Ya bastard—! You did not— Oh, nono_no_! Ya did it on purpose. _Evil_!"

"I didn't force you to take it while lying on your back."

"…You're a dick an' a sadist too. How can people be fooled by your girly features?"

"What did you say? I didn't hear it very well. You wanna try S&M next time?"

"…Forget I said anythin'."

"Thought so."

"…"

"…"

"Ya were serious..?" Ace asked incredulous.

"…Who knows?"

"Oh _hell_ no—I don't wanna have any more marks! I still have faint 'tattoos' from your tie, bastard!"

"…We'll see."

"I said no!"

"Suit yourself."

"NO!"

The blond scowled, crawled on top of the raven haired man and whispered into his ear.

"…Fine, no more kinky stuff until the marks are gone, k'?"

"…M'kay." Ace grumbled, he didn't know whether be glad or slightly put off by it. It was next second later that he realized he eat out of Sanji's palm without realizing it.

"Wipe that smirk of off your face." Ace grumbled displeased at the turn of events.

"Chill out. I'll let you have your turn too." Sanji puffed his cheeks up.

"Really? Ya'll let me?" Ace asked.

"Ask me again and I may reconsider it."

"Nah, I believe ya. Just was happy, 's all."

"Knew you'd see it my way, Fire Fist. So how do you feel about doing some _reconnaissance _on the enemy's turf?"

"You're fucking crazy an' I love ya, man."

"Me too. You up for it?"

"I'm always up for anythin' ya ask, babe. An' besides—how could I pass on somethin' like that?"

Sanji didn't say anything, but gave him a broad smile going from one ear to the other.

"Ah, I can't wait." Ace stretched his limbs on the bed, enjoying his bones popping in place.

"Heh. I know you can't. I know." Sanji grinned.

* * *

…

* * *

Sanji woke up in the middle of the night. The first thing he noticed was how beautifully the moonlight illuminated the room. He saw Ace lying on his back next to him, snoring loudly while drooling like a toddler. It was thirst that woke Sanji up. So he slipped from under the warm covers and went to the kitchen to drink some water to fix the uncomfortable feeling. He stretched lethargically his limbs, yawning loudly. The blond went back to his room and sat near the big window taking up most of the wall. It held an amazing view on the city outskirts and a lake. It was captivating and breath-taking. Sanji was smoking his cigarette, enjoying how his body slowly relaxed due to the nicotine.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And repeat.

The white whips of smoke ended their escape through the opened window and into the warm night, disappearing completely. As his fingers danced over Ace's lighter, his eyes observed the disappearing and reappearing flame of fire.

His thoughts stopped being chaotic and his body language spelled calm, serene even. It was nice to let go, forget about the hectic day and he let the mind wander to the far away, beautiful skies of his motherland.

Sanji often gave himself a mental bashing for not having the guts to call his geezer and friends—Patty and Carnie, mainly. But the longer he waited, and the more days passed it was harder to pick up the phone and call. He was fooling himself that 'no call' is a good thing. It means nothing happened and everything was alright. A call often meant something has changed, or something bad has happened, so he tried to justify himself and his doings that he didn't have anything important to say, and that would explain his 'not calling'.

He released a deep sigh. After finishing the cigarette, he pulled out another one immediately. With lightening this cigarette he decided he should man up, make it up to them and call tomorrow, though.

And sit through any speeches they wanted to give him, and any jabs they wanted to throw at him, for being an ungrateful shitty brat.

With a new resolution set, Sanji let his mind wander. He mussed over how fast the time here had passed for him. New friends, new hopes, and obligations put on his shoulders…

Though he didn't mind the heavy load of work, being in spot-light and basking in people's attention—being the Student Council President—but it was something natural for him. One of the things he was used to since the time Zeff took him in. It was a different and restricted world, but the need to stay faultless, immovable like a mountain to anything threatening to crush him, was the same. He needed to be a leader figure, and someone they can trust. And this was a whole lot better feeling—that people wanted to rely on him at school—than that of an animal in the zoo; always watched by others and criticized.

He was tested and judged many times. He couldn't blame his shortcomings and inexperience on his young age and that's why he studied hard. In France, Sanji had many excellent private tutors giving him the necessarily knowledge, way above that of High School level even, but he had a certain reputation to uphold. He endured it all, even if on the inside he was boiling with rage and feeling of unfairness, but there was one moment in his life that made it all bearable, that made it all seem fairly worth it. He met one firecracker, and a very reckless boxer, who enabled him to spread his wings, chained till now, and feel—life could also be enjoyable.

For the first time he tasted freedom when he went to school abroad. On the recommendation of Zeff's old friend—Shanks. He met there people that trusted him and whom he could trust as well. And his statements on many school matters were respected and not just brushed off. It was a good feeling. This change. It was really for the better, since he no longer felt like a caged bird.

Sanji's step-father wasn't a type to wear a heart on his sleeve that's why Sanji's leaving went fairly smoothly without any drama. They said goodbyes in a normal, for them, cool manner with thrown insults here and there. That Zeff was finally free of one noisy, little eggplant who liked meddling into not his business. And that Sanji was finally free to do whatever he wanted, without the bossy geezer's attitude getting in the way. Simply your ordinary goodbyes.

Sanji was a respected figure and an exceptional chef, at that time. Second to Zeff, though, and the old man wouldn't be himself if he failed to remind Sanji of it _every single day_. What joy it must have been for the blond.

But as any young and featherless duckling Sanji was also prone to make many mistakes, or be irresponsible, considering his age. There were many people wanting to catch his attention and win his trust, to use him next to their own doings. That's why he was protected by his mentor and savior from the shadows.

Like when he and Ace found themselves in the middle of a gang war, between two major groups ruling the streets of Paris at night. What brought them all the trouble was their way of spending time. They had to watch their own backs from then on. It was inevitable that they would get into some heavy mess sooner or later. Searching together for some excitement and adrenaline, coupled with wrong time and place, and trouble finds you.

They got lucky. It wasn't bravery, skill, or wits. Maybe a bit of everything _and_ a good dose of luck. But nothing more. They messed with wrong people and bounties were put on their heads. Then the police got involved, but money did the talking and they were pacified. Zeff almost had a baby, that's how angry he got. Sanji and Ace had to listen to his _speeches_ for weeks and be on a dishwasher duty at one of his restaurants to—_learn some goddamn humility—_as he put it.

After Zeff calmed down—it took him weeks though—he came up with a plan. He knew keeping his eggplant grounded for life wasn't realistic and possible. But what if he was away and safe? There are many ways to ensure he wouldn't do anything stupid in a new place and he had a few good ideas as to how to go about executing it. First thing he did was to call an old friend—"The Red" Shanks and ask him for a favor. The transfer papers gave him a headache but the moment paperwork was done, he literally kicked out his son abroad. Ace wasn't his kid, though, so he didn't give a damn what the other did, but he knew he was a smart one. He would be fine.

When he had arrived in East Blue City, he had been surprised and overcome with disbelief when Shanks had given him a letter from Zeff. With a fast heartbeat and shaky hands he had opened the envelope and read.

_"Don't get sick, Sanji. _

_Take care and call your old man sometime."_

The short note had said, and there had been keys to his brand new apartment attached. But the most important had been postscript where was written: _"Here's the number to your bank account along with all the payment for the days you worked at the Baratie, brat."_

Looking at the numbers and the state of the account Sanji couldn't help but swallow the lump that had formed in his throat the moment he read it all.

_"You counted it wrong, shitty geezer…"_

Sanji had shaken his head incredulous and thanked Shanks for passing it on to him. Later on he had gone to his new place—a new home—and put his baggage in the brightest room with an amazing view outside. He had sat there without speaking, hit by how much the old man did for him. Despite that they bickered every time they talked and that their last meeting was pretty cold.

But now. Smoking a cigarette and remembering his first day abroad, in alien to him environment, when he read geezer's warmest words addressed to him ever, he couldn't help but feel at peace with his life and world.

Getting back to the first day—after he had taken it all in and scanned through the letter for the hundredth time, he had mumbled. _"Stupid geezer—it's too much..!"_

He had hidden his face into his hands, making the entire papers spill on the floor, and swallowed his happy and thankful tears.

The letter had been left discarded near his feet, opened and with visible last few words written at the end, _"…real men don't cry, stupid eggplant."_

* * *

**tbc**


End file.
